Arrive curious, not armed with answers
A new senior role comes with pressure to demonstrate immediate authority. Yet the first responsibility is to understand the system: what people value, where decisions are really made and which commitments have shaped the current situation.
Build a practical listening agenda
Meet the people closest to customers, operations and key partners. Look for patterns rather than isolated views. Early credibility comes from making others feel heard while showing that their information will inform action.
The first 90 days should create clarity and momentum, not a performance of certainty. A few well-chosen priorities are more powerful than a long list of initiatives.
Turn listening into direction
The first conversations
Listen across levels, not only upward
Test patterns before drawing conclusions
Choose a small number of visible priorities
Authority grows when people see that their perspective informs action.
Building a mandate in the first 90 days
The opening months in a senior role set a pattern that can endure long after the first priorities have changed. There is understandable pressure to demonstrate authority quickly, especially when the appointment follows a difficult period or a visible change in direction. Yet the temptation to arrive with a complete answer can close down the very sources of insight that a new leader needs most.
A better starting point is a deliberate listening agenda. This is not a series of courtesy meetings. It is a structured attempt to understand how the organisation works when formal processes are not enough: where decisions get made, which relationships are trusted, what people are proud of and where effort is being lost. Conversations should reach beyond the immediate leadership team to include customers, partners and colleagues close to delivery.
From observation to momentum
Listening becomes valuable when it is followed by synthesis. Early themes should be tested rather than announced. If several people describe a slow decision process, the question is not simply whether that perception is accurate; it is which decisions are slow, why they matter and what would change if they moved faster. This keeps the leader from reacting to the loudest voice.
The first visible actions matter because they communicate priorities. A small number of well-chosen decisions can show that the new leader is paying attention and willing to act. Equally, choosing not to launch too many initiatives protects the organisation from the churn that often follows a transition. People need time to understand the direction before they can contribute to it.
A practical entry plan
Map the formal and informal decision system.
Test initial observations with diverse stakeholders.
Translate learning into a limited set of commitments.
By the end of the first 90 days, the aim is not to have solved everything. It is to have built enough context, trust and alignment to make the next set of decisions with confidence. A clear narrative, a few commitments and a credible rhythm of communication will usually do more than an elaborate transformation plan produced too soon.
A new leader earns trust by showing that curiosity and decisiveness can coexist.
Former physician, McKinsey Associate Partner and senior healthcare executive.
I advise CEOs, boards and investors on high-stakes decisions, leadership, transformation and complex execution, combining rigorous analysis, independent judgment and pragmatic support.
