What Happened
McDonald's recently made sweeping changes to its board of directors, shaking up its leadership composition in a significant way. The moves raised immediate questions — not just about governance, but about why, why now, and what it means for the company's direction. When a brand this visible reshuffles power at the top, the silence around the reasoning becomes its own story.
The Communication Angle
Here's the lesson every executive needs to tattoo somewhere visible: the story you don't tell, someone else will tell for you.
McDonald's board changes may have been entirely strategic, entirely sensible, and entirely justified. But if the communication surrounding those changes was thin, delayed, or vague, none of that matters. The public — investors, employees, franchisees, customers — fills every vacuum with the worst possible interpretation. That's not pessimism. That's human nature. And it's completely preventable.
The core failure in situations like this is what I call the assumption gap. Leaders assume that internal logic is self-evident. They've spent months in rooms discussing governance, succession, strategic alignment — and by the time a decision is announced, it feels obvious to them. So they announce it like it's obvious. A press release. A brief statement. A few bullet points. And then they're genuinely shocked when people panic or speculate.
Your audience wasn't in those rooms. They need the story behind the decision, not just the decision. There's a specific structure that works here, and it's not complicated: Context → Reason → Outcome. Tell me what was true before. Tell me why this change was necessary. Tell me what you expect will be different because of it. Three beats. Executives routinely skip the first two and lead with the third — and wonder why nobody trusts the announcement.
The other failure is timing. Boards and executives often communicate after the news cycle has already started moving. That's backwards. You don't respond to the story; you set the story. When McDonald's — or any high-profile company — makes a structural leadership change, the communication should be proactive, detailed, and human. Not just a filing. Not just a quote from the outgoing chair. A real explanation with a real voice behind it.
Franchisees alone are a reason to get this right. These are business owners whose livelihoods are tied to decisions made at the top. When the top reshuffles without clear explanation, the uncertainty travels down fast. A few well-crafted, direct talking points distributed to franchise leadership before the public announcement would have done more for internal stability than any press release.
This is exactly the kind of scenario I break down in Say It Right Every Time — the chapter on high-stakes announcements gives you a framework for sequencing difficult news so that your audience feels informed rather than managed. The difference between those two reactions is almost entirely structural, and it's a skill you can learn.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Never Be Lost
for Words Again
Get word‑for‑word scripts for the conversations that shape your life, from job interviews and negotiations to difficult talks with family and partners, so you always know exactly what to say and how to say it.
Key Takeaway
Before your next major organizational announcement — a hire, a departure, a restructure — write down the three questions a skeptic would immediately ask. Then answer all three, in plain language, inside the announcement itself. Don't wait for the follow-up interview to explain yourself. Put the explanation in the first message. Control the narrative before it controls you.
