Pros
I was initially given the opportunity to build my own team, and I was able to bring on talented, trusted coworkers. My direct team members were supportive, collaborative, and genuinely wanted to make improvements. The work itself had potential, and there were areas where positive change could have been made with proper leadership support.
Cons
In my experience, the CEO’s leadership style created a highly toxic environment. Promises made during hiring about autonomy, support, and culture change were not upheld. There is no functioning HR department, and all HR-related issues go directly to the CEO. This creates a major conflict of interest, especially when many concerns are related to his behavior. Leadership relies heavily on fear-based management, focusing on blame instead of solutions or process improvement. The CEO frequently oversteps boundaries, undermining managers instead of empowering them. My replacement was hired immediately after my departure, and all the team members I brought on were terminated to make way for the new leader’s own team, which created further instability and loss of morale. The overall environment discourages transparency, psychological safety, and long-term employee retention.