Announce Change Like a Rock Star CEO

When T-Mobile’s new CEO arrived to salvage a declining wireless carrier, he knew platitudes wouldn’t cut it. Instead, he staged a rock-star kickoff. He opened with, “Picture your uncle waiting two hours at an airport lounge to make one call—that stops today.” The lobby roared. He followed by revealing real customer complaints, then slashed long-term contracts live on stage, snapping his fingers whenever he killed a clause. That splashy opener dominated social media and set the tone for months of industry-shaking moves.

Contrast that with a rival’s quiet memo buried in a sea of company updates. No buzz. No unity. No energy. T-Mobile’s employees walked out pumped—ready to deliver the promise of the new Un-carrier era. Thirteen thousand staff in five cities tuned in. Thousands more saw it on internal livestream. The company’s stock surged 6% the next day, partly on confidence that bold leadership was back at the helm.

By treating change as an event—complete with showmanship, clear customer outcome, and a unifying rally cry—you ignite a spark impossible to snuff out. Visible CEO commitment and repeated high-energy launches reinforce why change matters and keep everyone leaning in.

Nail the kickoff, and culture becomes a force multiplier for every initiative thereafter.

You’ll walk onto that virtual or live stage, lean in close, and share a hard truth about your customer pain. Then you’ll tear up a red-tape contract or flip an old policy over your shoulder—symbolically. You’ll close with a crisp rally cry and follow every site kickoff with Q&A. Make it feel like the concert your workforce can’t wait to attend, so plan it this quarter.