The new leader's dilemma: Maintain or renovate the team?

The question that defines the success of any organizational transformation is not whether the leader is good, but whether they know when to act with the team they inherit and when it's time to renovate.

Written by
Alberto Bethke

Founding partner of Olivia. Totally focused on exploiting people's potential, and inspiring leaders to sustainable change.

A situation from the world of soccer serves to illustrate something that can happen in organizations: The former player and German coach Hansi Flick took over as the technical director of the Barcelona club in 2024 with a decision that defied market logic: "I don't need any players; I'll work with what I have." A year later, he led the Catalan club back to the podium. While other teams invested fortunes in signings, Flick achieved transformation with the same pieces: he gave opportunities to youth players, changed positions, and made strategic adjustments. It was a different team, but with the same people.


We explore one of the most complex dilemmas in organizational leadership: when you assume a new role, do you move the team or do you play with the people you have?

The temptation to change immediately: The new leader's most common mistake

The pressure is immediate. A new CEO, area director, or team manager—everyone arrives with the implicit expectation that something must change. And the most visible, most dramatic thing to change is people.

But there is a trap in this logic. It’s like when a president arrives and brings an entire cabinet under their arm, or when technical directors arrive with their folders of "trusted people." This may work in politics, but in organizations seeking continuity and sustainable growth, this strategy can be devastating.

The first mistake is in the order of decisions. Before evaluating who stays and who goes, there is a more fundamental question: What game are we going to play?


Clear vision, winning team: The key to successful transformation

Leadership is not a popularity contest. A leader who arrives must define their vision for the team: Are we going to be a short-passing team or a direct-play team? Is the goal to win the local championship or to build for the next 20 years?

Only after defining the strategy does the question of people arise. And here, a bidirectional dynamic appears that many leaders ignore: in an era where talent chooses, the decision is not only the leader's. The employee can also decide they don't want to play under that vision and seek another team.

The key lies in the process: first, the system of play is explained, an opportunity for adaptation is given, and only then is it evaluated whether the person fits or not. But be careful: this requires time, and time is the scarcest resource in modern organizations.


Results vs. patience: The time dilemma in leadership

Here lies the central tension: Do we have time for adaptation, or do we need immediate results? If the goal is to build the best team for the next 20 years, a leader might be able to afford the luxury of strategic patience. If you need to win the next quarter, the options narrow.

The problem is that we live in a world where everyone wants 20 years of success but also demands to win the next championship. It’s like when former Brazilian player Carlo Ancelotti took over as technical director of the Verdeamarela football team: he can promise to win future world championships, but first, he has to demonstrate a good performance in the next one.

This temporal pressure leads many leaders to make hasty decisions that destroy long-term value. They change entire teams to show authority, without giving a real opportunity for adaptation.


When the leader comes from within: Advantages and challenges of internal promotion

The dynamic changes completely when the new leader emerges from the organization's own ranks. As happened with Lionel Scaloni on the Argentine National Team: he came from within; he knew the pieces and their movements. He didn't have the excuse of an evaluation process because he had already been there.

Promoting from within has obvious advantages: it shortens onboarding times, the leader understands the organizational logic, and knows where the real talent is. But it also brings unique challenges: decisions can be more costly due to prior ties, and paradoxically, there may be less patience because they "should already know what to do."

Furthermore, those who did not get the position can become detractors. But the initial premise returns here: leadership is not a popularity contest. Decisions must be made anyway.


The necessary "Unpopular" decision: why a good leader must make difficult choices

Sometimes being effective requires decisions that seem unpopular. Iron Maiden, for example, had two major lead singer changes in its history: the decision to replace its vocalist must not have been easy. But thanks to that determination, the band continued to be one of the most successful in the world.

The same thing happens in organizations. Being "unpopular" is not being a bad leader; sometimes it means making the decisions that give coherence to the business plan and ensure the team is prepared for the real challenge. The key is that these decisions are conscious, informed, and coherent with the strategic vision, not whims of power or empty gestures of authority.


Conclusions for the new leader: A practical guide to decision-making

  • Define the game plan first: Before evaluating people, be clear about the strategy and objectives. The team is evaluated based on the plan, not the other way around.

  • Give real opportunities for adaptation: Especially if the leader comes from within, allow people to show if they can adjust to the new system before making definitive decisions.

  • Acknowledge temporal limitations: Be honest about whether you have time for gradual transformation or if immediate changes are necessary. Both approaches can be valid depending on the context.

  • Make the difficult decisions: If someone truly does not fit after a genuine evaluation process, act. Inaction is also a decision, and it is usually the worst partner.

The new leader's dilemma is not solved with magic formulas. It is solved with strategic clarity, a genuine evaluation process, and, when necessary, the courage to make unpopular but correct decisions. Because in the end, like in soccer, you win with a clear strategy and the right people in every position.

By Alberto Bethke, Founding Partner at Olivia.

 

Other reflections from Alberto Bethke

Why diversity can’t be woke

A few months ago, statements by presidents like Javier Milei and Donald Trump regarding woke culture sparked waves of outrage: too harsh, too misogyni...
Read more

The rules of business in crisis: an opportunity to rewrite the game

Have you ever heard of an organization that admits to being in crisis while also claiming that the context in which it operates is favorable for growt...
Read more

Mystique: why it is a good business in time

I recently saw a movie that highlights a concern that is pertinent to the moment we are going through, especially in our organizations. In it, a very ...
Read more