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The first 90 days in a new role as a leader have a defining role in creating trust, developing relationships, and creating a strong foundation for long-term success. As I have discussed in my book “High-Value Leadership: Building Organizations Through Purposeful Culture,” leaders’ behavior during this critical period will often determine success in creating lasting positive impact.
Learning About Your Environment
Learn about your new environment first, then make any improvements:
- Get an inventory of current culture and team dynamics
- Learn about key influencers and key stakeholders
- Learn current processes and performance metrics
- Learn about immediate opportunities and challenges
Keep in mind, as I have discussed in “Mastering a High-Value Company Culture,” successful transition leadership is a tension between a desire for positive improvement and a respect for current state.
Building Key Relationships
Being effective in your new role will depend a significant part on your relationships with them:
- Have one-on-one sessions with direct reports
- Get to know your peers and cross-functional partners
- Get in routine contact with your manager
- Learn about informal leaders in your new workplace
Prioritize listening and learning in these first encounters. Learning alternative perspectives sets the stage for trust-based leadership.
Setting Clear Expectations
In your first 30 days:
- Get role expectations with your manager
- Set your leadership style with your team
- Set team objectives and priorities
- Set first-quarter success metrics
Be transparent about your style. As I have discussed in “High-Value Leadership,” transparent expectations build psychological safety and enable high performance.
Delivering Quick Wins
Avoid rapid-fire big-ticket improvements but seek out quick positive impact areas:
- Solving apparent pain
- Improve simple processes
- Help team members win at their objectives
- Acknowledge early success, no matter how small
The early wins build trust and momentum for larger programs of work
Developing Your Strategy
By day 60, you will have:
- Gotten a deep grasp of key challenges
- Laid out early plans for working through key priorities
- Identified requirements and constraints in terms of resources
- Began developing your vision’s alignment
Make sure to involve your team in this exercise. As I have emphasized in both my books, shared planning creates deeper buy-in and increased success.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Too many new leaders fall victim to:
- Doing too much, too soon
- Not listening and taking enough time
- Not developing key relationships
- Drawing incorrect inferences about past experiences
- Not fitting with organizational culture
Building Sustainable Impact
The work of your first 90 days isn’t quick wins – it’s planting the seeds for long-term success. Target your efforts at:
- Building trust through consistent behavior
- Building ongoing communications channels
- Building your team’s capabilities
- Setting feedback channels
- Aligning actions with organizational values
Next Steps for Success
Once you’re through your first 90 days, then:
- Re-evaluate and realign your early strategies
- Expand key relationships
- Roll out long-term programs
- Invest in ongoing development for your team
- Sustain ongoing communications
Keep in mind, leadership is a journey, not a destination. What you build in these first 90 days will serve your long-term development and success as a leader.
Next Steps
The success of your new role hinges on balancing quick wins with long-term value creation. By following these key steps and keeping your eyes focused on developing a high-value culture, you can build positive momentum that works for your team and larger organization.
To learn about creating lasting leadership success, contact us for a consultation about how to maximize your leadership impact starting your first day.
How are you preparing for your future role in leadership? What have your observations and experiences been? Let me know in the comments below.
Are you ready to maximize your transition into a new role of leadership? Get in contact with Che Blackmon Consulting at admin@cheblackmon.com today and let’s see together how we can make your success a reality in your first 90 days and beyond.
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