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When a leader walks into a struggling organization, the instinct is often to fix things fast. But Mark McFatridge learned early in his career that real turnaround work begins with listening.

After earning his first bank president role, Mark relocated from Indianapolis to Springfield, Missouri to lead the worst performing banking group in the company. He didn’t know the team, the community, or the culture. What he did know was that walking in with a heavy hand would fail.

Instead, he spent his first 30 to 45 days engaging the organization. He walked the halls, sat in break rooms, and asked employees two questions:

• What do we do well?
• What do we suck at?

From those conversations he built a report he called “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” That process eventually shaped the leadership framework he would later formalize as the Four E’s:

• Engagement — Listen first. Understand the culture and identify what works and what does not.
• Education — Clarify the vision and help the team understand how the business actually works.
• Empowerment — Give people the authority and tools to act on that vision.
• Execution — Create accountability so the team follows through.

Mark used this framework repeatedly during his banking career as he turned around multiple struggling regions.

Later, after retiring from banking in 2017, he launched Quaid, a peer community designed specifically for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs. The model brings small groups of leaders together in “circles” of eight to ten members who meet regularly to challenge each other, share experiences, and hold each other accountable.

The idea came from Mark’s own experience joining a CEO peer organization earlier in his career. That community changed the way he approached leadership, and he wanted to create that same level of support for others.

Inside this conversation, we explore:

• What leaders should do during their first 30–45 days in a struggling organization
• Why culture change begins with listening rather than directives
• The structure Mark uses to facilitate CEO peer groups
• Why leadership challenges almost always come back to people

Mark also shares one principle that guides both his leadership and his work facilitating CEO circles: listen to understand, not to respond.

If you lead a company, manage a team, or are responsible for fixing something that isn’t working, this episode offers practical insight into how strong leadership actually shows up.

Connect with Mark

Website: www.quadecircle.com
LinkedIn: Mark McFatridge
Podcast: Igniting the CEO Within

Instagram: 

@amyschutte_

Work with us: www.hudsonandco.co