A new chapter, but the script feels familiar
You’ve just stepped into a leadership role in a newly restructured Business Unit. The org chart is fresh. The vision is sharp. You’re ready to move.
But your team might not be. To them, this could feel like déjà vu. Another reorg. Another name. Another leader with bold ideas.
Restructuring far outnumbers mergers or acquisitions. It’s the most common form of organisational change. While it may feel like a beginning to you, your people have walked this path before.
If you want it to feel different this time, you need to make it different. And that starts by shaping something deeper than a strategy – an identity.
If you don’t shape identity, it shapes itself
People don’t wait to be told what something means. They make sense of it themselves.
If you don’t define the identity of your unit, they will – through side conversations, old assumptions, and cues from leadership. That can quickly cause confusion or disengagement.
Real identity answers the unspoken questions:
• What are we here to do?
• What makes this Business Unit and team different?
• How do we work together, and what do we expect from each other?
Get this right, and you’ll create clarity and momentum. Get it wrong (or skip it entirely), no strategy, however brilliant, will stick.
Don’t announce identity, co-create it
Identity isn’t a poster or a leadership memo. It’s not a tagline on the intranet. It’s what people feel, say, and believe when no one’s watching.
That’s why the best identity work is collaborative. It’s not about telling people who they are – it’s about building a shared answer to that question, together.
At GW+Co, we use Collaborative Design to do just that. It’s a structured, participatory approach that brings people from across the business into the process from the start.
Why? Because collaboration leverages the collective wisdom of the organisation, creates true ownership, and kickstarts change from day one.
This is the core shift: from branding to belonging. From messaging to meaning. From rollout to co-creation.
And it starts by bringing the right people into the room.
A framework to build shared identity
We use a four-layer model that brings strategy, culture, and people together:
1. The Management Team — Align and commit
Start by building true alignment in the leadership team. Not just agreement on paper, but trust in action. Because if your leaders aren’t united in purpose and behaviour, the rest of the organisation will feel that disconnect instantly.
You may need to build this team as you go – and that’s okay. Tools like Working Genius, facilitated leadership conferences, or intentional trust-building moments can help accelerate alignment. One question worth asking early is “How much do we trust each other?” It sounds simple, but it opens the door to honesty.
One of our clients once faced that exact question – live on stage, from their next-level leaders. The answers were slightly awkward, but it laid the groundwork for something better – a year later, trust had visibly grown.
This isn’t about a one-off workshop. It’s about creating an ongoing practice of open dialogue and shared experiences that create real alignment.
And when leaders lead with that kind of openness, others follow.
2. The Project Team — Direct and integrate
Next, form a core project team from strategy, people, product, and comms. This group turns ambition into action – guiding the process and anchoring it in the day-to-day.
Pick people who are respected and close to the work. Avoid political appointments. You want thinkers and doers who can connect the dots and bring others with them.
This team bridges strategic intent and cultural reality. They keep things moving and meaningful.
3. The Working Group — Create content
Now it’s time to widen the circle. A diverse group of 15–20 employees comes together to define what this new unit stands for – across functions, levels, and geographies.
They’ll work through structured sessions (we often use tools like the Business Compass, a framework that brings together strategy, culture and brand) to define:
• A clear purpose and vision to guide direction
• Strategic priorities to turn vision into reality
• Values and principles to shape daily behaviours
• A compelling promise and story to express what sets the unit apart
• Value propositions for key stakeholders to make it relevant and resonant
Because this group is drawn from the business, the output isn’t theoretical – it’s recognisable. It’s lived. And that’s why it sticks.
4. The Jam sessions – Wisdom from the edges
Alongside the core process, we run short, creative sessions open to anyone which we call ‘Jams’. These voluntary 45-60 minute workshops spark ideas, build ownership, and bring unlikely people together.
In one Jam, an engineer wrote a poem that later inspired the brand promise. Because it came from within, people believed in it. These moments can’t be planned – but they’re gold when they happen.
The more people feel involved, the more they feel responsible.
Lead like an explorer, not a planner
Most change efforts treat identity like a box to tick: create the new positioning, check it off, move on. But real change doesn’t follow straight lines. It loops, stalls, and twists. That’s why we think of it as an expedition – an unpredictable journey that needs curiosity and courage.
Explorers need:
• A shared goal to navigate by
• Preparation and base camps to rest and regroup
• Resilience for rough terrain
• Flexibility to adjust when the path shifts
Our Change Journey Map helps teams lead this way. It goes beyond tasks and timelines. It maps the emotional, cultural, and political landscape that’s often left unspoken.
Instead of asking, “What are you afraid of?” try, “What might we find in the Forest of Fear?” This shift invites honesty. It gives people a way to name real blockers – without naming names.
When you lead like an explorer, you expect setbacks. You listen deeply. You build strength as you move forward.
Learn more about our Change Journey Map here.
Make identity real, and make it last
Once you’ve shaped a new identity, it doesn’t embed itself. You need to help people live it.
Here’s how to do that well:
1. Go beyond leadership
Identity has to live in the wider business. Bring people in early and often.
2. Communicate as you go
Don’t wait for final solutions and answers. Share progress, reflections, even questions. It builds trust.
3. Make it tangible
Give people something physical, something they can see, touch, or share. A notebook, a badge, a keepsake that symbolises what you stand for. It turns abstract ideas into daily reminders.
4. Tie it to existing change efforts
Link the new identity to cultural, operational, or transformation initiatives. Show how it all fits together.
5. Let leadership model it visibly
When leaders talk and act in line with the identity, it builds credibility. When they don’t, it unravels.
6. Create moments people can share
Bring the identity to life through visible, memorable expressions – things people can talk about, display, or pass on. These small moments build pride, spark conversation, and help the message spread.
Building identity – a journey, not a sprint
For real traction, plan for 6 to 12 months. Anything shorter risks scratching the surface. Identity isn’t a campaign – it’s a strategic and cultural effort. It takes time, attention, and repeated engagement to take root.
If it matters, give it the space to grow.
Final thought – your chance to lead differently
As a new leader, you have a rare opportunity not just to execute a strategy, but to shape how it feels to be part of something new. You’re not starting from zero. You’re stepping into a living, breathing business filled with people who’ve seen change before. They know the motions. They’ve heard the promises.
If you want this to be different, make it different. Invite people in. Create shared meaning. Build identity not just from strategy, but from the lived experience of your team. Because when you take the time to shape identity collaboratively and with care, you’re doing more than managing a transition – you’re creating something people can believe in. That builds trust. That builds energy. That builds culture.
Lead the story you want your team to tell, because that’s what identity really is.
