The pressure to create a massive impact in the early months of a new role is largely confined to the history books. Of course there is one person currently grabbing headlines for how he has spent his first 100 days in office. You may feel that his performance proves the point: wading straight in without careful consideration is a blunt instrument at best. You might solve one small problem but you cause plenty of collateral damage.
I’ve watched fresh leaders launch new and often unnecessary projects far too early, just to look good. Crazy Busy right there. People were already working at full capacity and were angry that they weren’t listened to. Those leaders were rumbled fairly quickly and exited.
Unless an organisation is in crisis, successful leaders spend their first months taking stock, asking what the company needs and discovering what they should put in place to maximise success.
They listen to the people on the ground and get to the heart of the business. They ask ‘what is broken that needs fixing’ rather than acting for action’s sake. They find out what really matters and aren’t distracted by shiny quick wins.
They respect the past and what’s working well. They articulate how they will accelerate a successful future and get people on board with their strategy. Then they take decisive action.
Short-term metrics like cash flow or revenue trends may not reflect the groundwork that the leader is putting in for sustainable growth. A more realistic measure in the early stages is if people know what the leader stands for, their values. Good talent will stick around. Weaker people may see the writing on the wall and go. That’s fine. Retention is not always a good indicator of leadership effectiveness.
A psychologically safe culture is essential to strong performance. Leaders should build trust by being transparent in their expectations of others. The leader alone can’t fix everything, so we don’t want them to have the kind of ego that craves being perceived as a hero or saviour. Their focus should be on elevating the problem-solving capability of everyone in the team. They shouldn’t feel they need to know all the answers. That’s old school. It’s much better if they surround themselves with strong people and know the right questions to ask them.
If leaders behave inconsistently with their stated values they’ll lose trust quickly. That’s a big red flag. Boris Johnson’s Partygate was a prime example of this – do as I say, not as I do. What’s that saying? Trust arrives on foot but leaves on horseback.
Look before you Leap – the right way to do the first 100 days
