How one high-growth startup CEO transformed a well-meaning but misaligned team into a focused, accountable leadership group—without losing the soul of the company.

The Situation

At a high-growth startup, the founding team led side by side. But as the business matured, product sales stalled, and the board began pushing for results.

That’s when a senior executive stepped into the CEO role. Beloved by the team and deeply mission-driven, they were ready to lead—but the culture they inherited wasn’t keeping pace. 

Bottom line: There was too much heart and not enough accountability. People cared deeply, but they weren’t getting results.

Coaching Goals

• Reset the company culture to drive accountability and results—without losing its heart.

• Infuse urgency and accountability into meetings to create more decisive outcomes.

• Get the team to confront hard truths together, without losing their focus on the mission.

• Maintain the company’s caring culture while improving commercial performance.
  

Our Approach

Velocity partnered with the CEO to design a cultural transformation rooted in accountability, urgency, clarity, results, and care.

Together, we:

• Audited and reset leadership meetings to drive efficiency, ownership, and follow-through

• Co-created a cultural manifesto that clarified how the team shows up and makes decisions

• Introduced a “war room with heart” model—daily alignment, focused goals, and clearly defined roles

• Coached the CEO to lead with data, decisiveness, and humanity

• Fostered a culture of transparency, trust, and mutual support

What’s a “War Room With Heart”?

This wasn’t about command-and-control. It was about creating a daily rhythm of alignment and action, without losing the company’s soul. 

This model included:

• Daily standups with clear, focused agendas and real-time KPI tracking

• Defined roles and responsibilities for decision-making

• A culture of radical transparency: early signals, no surprises

• Peer support meant leaning in when someone struggled—facing hard conversations together and lifting each other up.

By combining rigor with care, the team built new muscle for real-time leadership—driving decisions, not just discussions.

Behavioral Shifts

As new practices took hold, the team shifted its behaviors:

• The leadership team stepped up—taking greater ownership and supporting each other more effectively.

• Difficult conversations became easier, and the CEO balanced decisiveness with compassion.

• The CEO became more action-focused and data-driven in meetings, which boosted board confidence.

Key Outcomes

The cultural shift didn’t just change how the team worked—it transformed how they led together. What began as a reset in accountability has now become part of the company’s DNA, reshaping leadership at every level:

For the CEO:

• Developed a sharper, more decisive leadership style

• Balanced warmth with firmness in holding others accountable

• Earned deeper trust and confidence from the board

For the Team: 

• Built a leadership culture that drives both favorable business results and heart 

• Stepping up—acting with urgency, taking ownership, and providing mutual support to drive progress.

• Let go of outdated habits that no longer served their growth

For the Company: 

• The board is re-engaged, confident in the CEO’s direction, and aligned with the company’s strategic goals.

• Confidence grew inside and outside the company

• A performance culture began to take root—without sacrificing the heart of the mission