A new general manager’s first 90 days often seem routine—introductions, tours, onboarding, operational briefings. But beneath that lies a rare opportunity: a moment when long-standing habits can be questioned without resistance.

This period isn’t about disruption for its own sake. It’s about recognition. A new GM sees the club as it truly is. They notice:

• Gaps between the story the club tells and the experience members actually have.
• How staff navigate competing priorities.
• Which communications feel authentic — and which do not.

Crucially, the GM has permission to ask why.

Yet too often, that window closes before this opportunity is taken advantage of. Boards push new GMs to “hit the ground running,” reinforcing old norms. And GMs, eager to prove themselves, chase visible wins instead of diagnosing deeper issues.

The first 90 days shouldn’t just be an operational handoff. They’re a strategic moment. A chance to ask whether the club’s culture and brand still align with its mission.

The Listening Leader
From KK&W’s experience, the most successful GMs begin not by acting, but by listening. By being diagnostic.

Culture reveals itself through behavior, not through policy. The most perceptive leaders look for signals of cultural health, looking for answers to questions such as:

• How does the team respond when plans change?
• What gets celebrated—and what gets ignored?
• Do staff treat challenges as obstacles or opportunities?

At one club, a GM was brought in to “modernize operations.” She quickly noticed a paradox: the culinary team produced excellent food, yet dining satisfaction was low. The issue was rhythm, not quality. Families wanted earlier meals; business members wanted quicker ones. The kitchen’s fine-dining tempo clashed with members’ lifestyles.

Instead of immediately changing schedules, she asked her team:

“If you were designing service from scratch—for today’s members—what would you change?”

The team’s response revealed frustration and, importantly, the energy to evolve. By inviting curiosity before change, she built ownership rather than resistance.

That’s the lesson: leadership starts with understanding. An incoming GM’s role isn’t to repeat a previous playbook—it’s to help the club become the best version of itself.

The Board’s Role in Setting Direction
For a club to become its best version, boards must create clarity before the new GM arrives. They should ask themselves:

• What must this leader preserve?
• What must they transform?
• Which truths have we been avoiding?

When a board defines those answers early, meaningful goals can be identified, empowering the GM to lead strategically—not reactively.

When Brand and Culture Don’t Match
While KK&W focuses inward on culture, Sussner looks outward—at the brand. A new GM often spots brand misalignment first by simply walking in the door.

Common warning signs:

• The website promises “casual elegance,” but spaces feel overly formal.
• Marketing celebrates multigenerational families, but events cater mostly to retirees.
• The tagline speaks of connection, yet communications feel transactional.

These aren’t cosmetic problems—they’re signs of identity confusion. When a club’s brand no longer reflects who it truly is, staff lose focus, members lose trust and prospects lose interest.

At one club, a rebrand around “innovation and forward thinking” failed to change the experience itself. Programming stayed predictable, spaces outdated and technology lagged. The new brand had painted the walls but not changed the foundation.

The incoming GM reframed the challenge by asking:

“What do we truly believe about the experience we want to create?”

The answer revealed that members didn’t want disruption—they wanted thoughtful evolution: honoring tradition while adapting to modern expectations. Once that truth surfaced, the club could align what it said with what it did.

This is the heart of Sussner’s 3C Framework:

• Clarity (know who you are)
• Consistency (express it reliably)
• Connection (make people feel it)

Branding isn’t a paint job. It’s the alignment of belief, behavior, and expression.

Seeing Culture and Brand as Mirrors
The most effective GMs assess culture and brand together—because each reveals the other’s weaknesses (and strengths).

Examples:

• A culture celebrates collaboration, but the brand markets exclusivity → disconnect.
• The brand promises family-friendliness, but staff are uneasy with kids → misalignment.
• Leadership preaches innovation but punishes risk-taking → contradiction.

A GM focused only on culture may fix internal issues while leaving the external story unchanged. One focused only on brand risks, polish without authenticity. But a GM who evaluates both gains a full picture—and can align strategy accordingly, authentically, and effectively.

When boards, staff and club partners work in parallel, they don’t just communicate alignment—they create it.

The Strategic Opportunity for Transformation
Too often, clubs treat GM transitions as operational events: find the right leader, onboard efficiently, and return to normal.

That mindset preserves continuity but prevents transformation.

A new GM’s arrival is one of the few moments when a club can safely ask:

• Have our members evolved while our systems stayed static?
• Do our values actually guide decisions?
• Does our brand attract the right audience?

When boards use this moment to ask honest questions—and GMs use it to listen and diagnose—clarity follows. And clarity informs everything: strategy, staffing, experience, and communication.

When culture is healthy and the brand is clear, everything becomes easier. Staff know what’s expected. Members feel aligned. Recruitment and retention follow naturally.

Leading Forward
Transitions are inherently disruptive—but disruption doesn’t have to mean instability.

Handled with intention, it’s the moment when old patterns can be examined honestly and new ones chosen deliberately.

A new GM offers a fleeting yet invaluable perspective: the ability to see the club as it truly is, before habits return. That’s why the first 90 days matter most.

In that window:

• A GM can ask questions without offense.
• A board can confront legacy habits.
• The organization can commit to evolution.

When that happens, clubs don’t just get a new leader — they rediscover, or reaffirm who they are.

The Real Question
For boards: Will you give your GM the time and clarity to diagnose before acting?

For GMs: Will you prioritize understanding before change?

Clubs that embrace this 90-day transition as a chance for alignment—not just succession—emerge stronger, clearer and more authentic.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – November 2025

This article was co-authored by Sussner, a private club member engagement firm, and KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE, a private club executive search and consulting firm.