The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Faster, Smarter Leadership

Author Name: Michael D. Watkins

The President of the United States has 100 days to prove his worth, but you only have 90. Your actions during the first few months in any new position will largely determine whether you succeed or fail.

Failure in any new assignment can end a promising career. But making a successful transition to a new position is about more than just avoiding failure. When leaders go off track, their problems are often attributed to the vicious cycles that began in their first months in office. Along with leaders who fail completely, there are those who survive the cycle but never realize their full potential. As a result, these leaders miss out on opportunities that could advance their careers and help their organizations thrive.

Why are transitions such critical periods? When I surveyed 1,300 senior HR leaders, nearly 90% agreed that “transitioning to a new role is the most challenging time in a leader’s career.”1 Nearly three-quarters of respondents also agreed that “success or failure during the first few months is a strong predictor of a leader’s success or failure in the role.” So, failure during a transition period may not necessarily mean you’ve failed completely, but it does reduce your…

Chances of success

The good thing about these transitions is that they give you a chance to start fresh and make the necessary changes in the organization. But they are also very fragile periods; you lack strong working relationships and a deep understanding of your new role. You also work under a microscope, and so you are under constant scrutiny from others. They try to understand your character and the leadership you represent, so they quickly form an opinion of your effectiveness. And when that happens, those opinions are difficult to change. If you succeed in building credibility and achieving early successes, this momentum will propel you throughout your tenure. If you set yourself up for failure from the start, you will face an uphill battle until the very last moment.