The First 90 Days

Your first 90 days in a new role can dictate success or failure – the more you learn, the further you'll go.

1. The importance of the first 90 days

The first three months in any leadership role are critical to building your foundation. This is not just about solid decision-making; it’s about establishing credibility and winning the buy-in of your colleagues. Success during this time sets the stage for long-term growth, while missteps during this window can do lasting damage to relationships, effectiveness, and trust.

New leaders often focus primarily on action, wanting to show immediate results. However, striking a balance between action and observation is key. The temptation to dive into tasks without understanding the environment can lead to mistakes. These first weeks are the perfect time to learn, ask questions, and develop a strategy tailored to the organization’s culture and needs.

For example, many leadership failures stem from assumptions based on past success. Someone who excelled managing one team might falter in another because they failed to adapt. This period allows new leaders to map the landscape, assess their team’s dynamics, and learn from their mistakes quickly.

Examples

• A sales manager who tries to hit KPIs immediately without understanding team capabilities may alienate team members.
• A tech lead who overlooks team structure in favor of enforcing processes risks creating resentment.
• A CEO entering an innovative firm without understanding its culture might propose changes that clash with company values.

2. Accelerated learning is a priority

Harnessing accelerated learning during the first 90 days can make or break a leader’s preparation. This isn’t about learning everything at once but focusing on what truly matters for your role. By stepping into a learning mindset, leaders can quickly determine what’s important, why certain processes exist, and how to improve without alienating colleagues.

Allison’s story drives this home. As the newly appointed head of a launch team, she initially focused on pushing her agenda rather than understanding her team’s diverse cultures, leading to friction and resistance. Once she started asking questions and listening to the team, she uncovered insight into how the department’s histories and processes shaped their work—insight she would have missed by acting too quickly.

Prioritizing learning in this way isn’t just about avoiding mistakes; it also shows team members that you respect their contributions and expertise. This buy-in becomes invaluable as you move forward.

Examples

• Allison’s one-on-ones with team members helped her repair strained relationships.
• A new department head who spends time understanding workflows before eliminating “inefficient” steps avoids alienating employees.
• A nonprofit leader learns the unique challenges of their donor base before rolling out a fundraising campaign.

3. Adapting leadership styles to fit context

Effective leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all; what works in one setting may fail in another. Leaders must adapt to meet the cultural and operational expectations of their new environment. Leaders like Allison struggle when they try to apply a successful past approach to a new context without modification.

Recognizing differences across organizational cultures is essential. For example, moving from a collaborative, consensus-driven workplace to a more hierarchical one – or vice versa – requires self-awareness. Leaders must reflect on their own styles and adapt wherever there are mismatches.

Allison discovered that her control-based methods alienated team members used to flat hierarchies. Making adjustments to her style after listening to the group’s feedback allowed her to rebuild trust and motivate her team more effectively.

Examples

• A consensus-built marketing leader adjusts to the faster decision-making expectations in an executive role.
• A military-style team leader enters a startup and learns to work with a free-form hierarchy.
• A process-driven factory manager adopts creative collaboration strategies in a design team.

4. Balancing action with observation

Leaders often feel pressure to prove themselves by “hitting the ground running.” While action is important, diving in without context can create massive missteps. Balancing action with observation helps leaders understand the current state of operations before making impactful changes.

Observation doesn’t mean passivity—it’s about intentional listening and watching. Leaders who spend time understanding how things work and why they exist gain insight into employee motivations, challenges, and opportunities. As a result, their eventual actions align more seamlessly with the team’s reality.

Leaders who balance action and learning avoid the trap of unnecessary changes. This approach earns them respect as collaborators rather than disruptors.

Examples

• A new manager shadowing team members to understand their daily challenges wins their respect.
• A school principal observes classrooms before creating a new teaching mandate.
• A hired CEO for a legacy company may observe workflows before introducing automation processes.

5. The role of self-reflection

Understanding your own strengths and blind spots is an essential starting point for transitioning into new leadership. Practicing self-reflection allows leaders to recognize gaps in knowledge or mismatches with the new team’s working style and helps them address these issues proactively.

Allison’s experience underscored the importance of self-assessment. She realized her focus on control created friction in a team that valued autonomy and collaboration. By reflecting on her style and adjusting her priorities, she became more effective.

Building confidence while staying open to feedback distinguishes competent leaders. Through self-reflection, they learn when to push for change and when to step back for the good of the team.

Examples

• Allison pinpointing her process-oriented control as a stumbling block.
• A firm vice president attending workshops to overcome micromanaging tendencies.
• A shift supervisor asking for anonymous team feedback to identify blind spots.

6. Building trust in early days

Trust is the currency of effective leadership. During a transition, leaders must earn their team’s respect by demonstrating empathy, clear communication, and consistency. Reliable leaders inspire confidence, setting the stage for long-term cooperation.

Early missteps—such as ignoring team feedback or rushing processes—can erode trust swiftly. Leaders should foster trust by involving key team members in discussions, seeking consensus where possible, and showing integrity.

For instance, Allison’s efforts to repair trust through open conversations and adjustments exemplify how this approach can help leaders recover from early mistakes.

Examples

• A director involving senior staff in departmental decisions earns respect.
• A manager seeking team input for their roadmap builds buy-in.
• Employees trust a new leader who follows through on promises.

7. Understanding organizational history

Every organizational process exists for a reason. Leaders who understand the “why” behind legacy systems can make informed decisions about what to keep, what to adjust, and what to change. They avoid alienating colleagues by dismissing prior work outright.

Allison failed initially because she didn’t take the time to understand her team’s cultural and technical histories. Learning the reasoning behind the QA objections helped her gain clarity and make better plans.

Acknowledging organizational history shows respect for team contributions and minimizes resistance to new initiatives.

Examples

• A manager retaining beloved team traditions even while streamlining processes.
• A software lead reviewing the history of past failed launches to avoid repeating mistakes.
• A nonprofit director consulting previous campaign leaders before introducing new tactics.

8. Leading by listening

The act of listening is one of the most effective leadership tools. Leaders who truly hear their team members’ concerns and feedback earn respect and gain actionable intelligence. Listening also creates an environment where employees feel valued.

When Allison stopped leading with assumptions and started asking questions, the barriers within her team began to dissolve. People want to be heard—and listening signals that you’re invested in their success.

Active listening fosters teamwork and trust, meaning leaders can more effectively galvanize their teams for shared success.

Examples

• Managers asking employees for solutions to challenges boosts morale.
• One-on-one reviews demonstrate that leaders take personal interest in team growth.
• Surveys and feedback mechanisms highlight employees’ needs.

9. Adapting to group dynamics

Finally, leaders must be able to navigate contrasting team dynamics effectively. Homegrown practices, clashing personalities, and eclectic ways of doing things all require careful handling.

Often, this means making space for diversity or even yielding traditional authority where it helps foster collaboration. As Allison’s journey demonstrates, being flexible to group needs rather than imposing a single style leads to better outcomes.

Adapting to team dynamics solidifies your ability to lead effectively across surprising or unfamiliar contexts.

Examples

• Executive team-building workshops unveil hidden conflicts among managers.
• Flexibility in scheduling allows diverse work schedules for productivity gains.
• Leaders embracing rotating leadership roles model group-first thinking.

Takeaways

1. Plan for learning just as you plan for action, setting aside dedicated time to understand your new organization’s culture and processes.
2. Practice self-reflection to identify blind spots and adapt your leadership style to your new environment.
3. Make listening a core aspect of your leadership to earn trust and gain valuable insight from your team.