Turnaround Leadership

authored by Cem Akant, 30 November 2025

Every company has a heart. It can keep beating quietly for many years, but slowly, things begin to wear it down—small mistakes, slow processes, missed chances, and those moments when luck turns away. Each one weakens its energy. And after a while, you can feel the change.

What I saw in Paris, Istanbul, and Barcelona was always the same: A crisis does not start in the numbers.

It starts in a look… in a pause… in a mood you can sense in the room.

You walk into a team meeting: people are working, but something inside the group is not connected anymore. Reports still arrive on time. There are explanations—logical at first—about why the sales line goes down. But step by step, these explanations turn into excuses. Numbers can survive this pressure for a while, especially when everyone hopes that things will “get better soon.” And in these moments, many smart employees who haven’t achieved real results become very good at hiding the truth.

You feel a light coldness in the office atmosphere, and it tells you more than any report. And that’s when you understand: A crisis is not only financial. It is, above all, a cultural break.

At that point, you face a choice: let the company continue on autopilot… or act with courage. Many companies slowly disappear in this kind of situation. But the same moment can also be the start of a real transformation—if the right leader steps forward.

A turnaround is like walking on a mountain road early in the morning. At first you see almost nothing—only uncertainty, tired faces, and heavy air. But when someone steps in front and starts showing direction, the air becomes clearer. The leader is always the first person who shows what is ahead, which turns matter, and where the real path is.

So what makes a turnaround work?

There is not just one reason. The board must truly want it. They must believe it is possible. A strong team must be formed. All of this is important. But the most critical factor is choosing the right leader for the moment.Because this leader must first bring trust to the board. Then bring the team together again. Remind people why they are there. And help them give their highest contribution. This is the true engine of a turnaround.

A company moves through different phases, and each phase needs a different type of leader.

Some leaders show the future like a light; they give direction and energy, and they are perfect for fast-growth periods. Others know how to repair trust; they bring people closer, calm tensions, and rebuild the feeling of “we.” Then there are discipline-focused leaders; they fix the system, bring order, and make operations work again. And finally, some leaders can reshape a company’s identity; they help everyone let go of old habits and build a new way of working. Each style has its strengths and limits. And each style fits a different moment in a company’s life.

A turnaround needs a leader who can combine all four: vision, transformation, discipline, and connection. This leader must change color with the moment—see people, fix the system, calm today, and build tomorrow. A true hybrid leader.

What does such a leader actually do?

First, the leader brings clarity. The leader’s vision is like a small light in a dark room. The team may not know exactly where they stand, but the leader gives a simple, clear direction. “We are going here.” Sometimes one clear sentence can remove half of the team’s stress.

But vision is not enough.

If people are tired, worried, or disconnected, the leader uses their connecting side. This is the part that opens closed doors, brings people together, solves tension in top meetings, and wins the trust of the quiet person sitting in the back row. Because the leader knows: A turnaround starts with people. Then the serious part begins.

To help the company breathe again, the leader uses discipline. This means cleaning the chaos, simplifying work, and putting order back in place. The leader sets a few clear priorities. This clarity calms the team and stabilizes the company’s heartbeat.

And above all comes the leader’s most difficult but most powerful side: transformation. This part does not only fix today; it changes the story. It helps people let go of old habits and build a new culture. Even small symbolic actions can refresh the team’s identity.

A turnaround is exactly this skill: the ability to change color at the right moment.

The wrong leader can destroy even the brightest chance. The right leader brings light—calm, steady, and confident. These leaders are rare… but when a company finds one, its future changes.

As Muhammad Ali said: “You don’t lose when you fall. You lose when you don’t get back up.”

A real turnaround leader knows this and gives both the board and the team one message: “We fell. But we are getting back up.”

And like every good journey, this one has a hero who is never alone— a leader with a team that believes in them, and a team they believe in.

When the leader is right, the company rises again.