Hello!

Two historic sites, destroyed.

In recent weeks, a fire engulfed the Nottoway Plantation mansion in Louisiana, which was one of the largest remaining pre-Civil War homes in the Deep South. Around the same time, a massive tree fell on the Fort Branch Museum in North Carolina and completely destroyed the building. Unsurprisingly, both events have sparked intense debate online. Perhaps like me, your social media feeds have been flooded with hot takes — some calling it long-overdue justice, others mourning the loss of historic architecture.

No matter where you land in these conversations, it’s remarkable how quickly our world divides into polarized perspectives. Side against side. You against me. In all the noise, are we losing an opportunity?

Here’s a thought I can’t shake:

After a fire, you have to rebuild.

Many workplaces (and other environments!) are home to outdated practices, entrenched policies, and unspoken norms that corrode culture from the inside out. Sacred cows are protected at the leadership level while employees disengage and walk away. These are things that need to be named. Sometimes, parts of our workplaces need to burn!
But if we stop there, little is accomplished.

Instead of staying stuck in broken systems, what if we focused our energy on rebuilding something better? What if we worked together to navigate the complexities and create workplaces where people actually thrive?

Real leadership looks like envisioning the future, refusing to stop with the ruins, and not wasting opportunity.

If this resonates — and you’re ready to address the red flags and initiate change in your workplace — I’m here to support you as you build something better.

Let’s do the work together.

Stacey Gordon, MBA
Rework Work CEO