Recruiter phone call, followed up video interview with Head of Ops, Project presentation, Meeting with CEO. The interview process was fine, I completed several rounds of interviews and was asked to prepare a fairly extensive strategic task. The task required building a detailed presentation covering KPI frameworks, CEO reporting structures, recruitment strategy, and a 30–60–90 day plan. After submitting the task, I was asked to schedule a call to walk through the presentation before it would be shared with the CEO. During the process, it became clear that some of the challenges within the organization — particularly around leadership dynamics — were already well known internally. One comment that stood out was the suggestion that certain leadership behaviors, including those of the CEO, were unlikely to change. Hearing this raised concerns for me about whether the role would actually have the authority or support needed to address the structural and cultural issues the position was meant to solve. Ultimately, I decided to withdraw from the process. My takeaway is that the company appears to recognize some of its internal challenges, but it was unclear whether there is genuine alignment or willingness at the leadership level to address them.