In today’s climate of continuous transformation, especially across manufacturing and engineering, many organizations are launching new operating models while managing significant workforce reductions. The weeks before “go live” are often the most ambiguous, yet they carry disproportionate weight in shaping how people interpret and engage with the change.

In this early stage, leadership presence sends strong signals. What executives say, how they show up, and the questions they ask all begin to shape the culture of the new organization. The challenge is that because so much is uncertain at this stage, the signals you send can get mixed up, exacerbating the problem of your team’s engagement and focus.

The reality: You’re leading before the structure is ready

This period before the reorganization goes live means leading in an abyss, before the new structure and roles are clearly defined and announced.

At this stage, your future as a leader is still in flux:

• Some leaders know their new roles but not their teams or decision rights.
• Others are being pulled into decisions for parts of the business they do not yet fully own.
• Some still do not know if or where they fit in the new organization.
• And yet all have to act.

This creates a leadership paradox. You are expected to influence outcomes in a space where your authority is informal, your team is undefined, and your context is incomplete. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to move forward successfully.

Four things great leaders do to navigate pre-organization

1. Prioritize the play-by-play, not the organizational chart

When formal clarity is missing, do not wait. Focus on how to work together in the moment, and take these steps:

• Treat major tasks or decisions like individual plays. Huddle up, assign roles based on strengths, and move forward.
• Recognize that progress comes from coordinated actions, not from waiting for the full design to finalize. Keep the focus on making smaller moves, together.

2. Resist solving for the whole system

As you press forward, you will notice inefficiencies and gaps. You will feel pressure to fix everything. Pause and remember:

• Now is not the time for sweeping changes. You do not yet have the full information.
• Stay focused on solving the immediate problem while keeping broader implications in view. Make notes you can come back to later when you know more.

3. Be aware of the shadow you cast

In times of uncertainty, your influence is amplified. Even casual comments you make can set unintended actions in motion. As you communicate to your team, use this as a guide:

• Assume everything you say will be interpreted as direction; be intentional about what you ask people to do.
• Speak with intention, even when you are still forming your own understanding.

4. Make decisions that can be revisited

Remember that most early decisions will not—and should not—be irreversible. Focus on keeping things moving, not setting the future in stone. As your guide:

• Make smart calls that can be adjusted as new information emerges.
• Aim for progress and learning, not permanence.

Three common early-stage pitfalls to avoid

Pitfall #1: Trying to fix everything at once. This fragments your focus and is impossible to achieve, while creating the risk that you will miss important smaller wins and solutions that will propel the team more successfully forward.

Pitfall #2: Applying past playbooks too quickly. What has worked before does not always work in a new and different environment. Jumping too quickly to past approaches can blind you to quick pivots you need to make now, and bring your team off course along with you.

Pitfall #3: Waiting for certainty. By nature of the “pre-reorg” fog, certainty is not going to come anytime soon. And important work still needs to get done. Getting stymied by awaiting big decisions and key direction will leave you and your teams far behind.

Key takeaways

• The “before” period is not a holding pattern. It is a critical window to shape tone, relationships, and ways of working.
• Curiosity, not control, earns early trust.
• The habits you form now will influence how others operate once the structure is in place.

Call to action: Before the reorganization

If your organization is approaching a major reorganization, ask yourself:
“What signals am I sending today, and are they building the foundation I want for tomorrow?”

If you want a downloadable version of this series, click here to get the whitepaper.

This is part of a 3 part series. Be sure to read the other two here: Part 2: What great leaders do during the change and Part 3: What great leaders do after the change