7 STEPS TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS

Found this article via the Australian Institute of Management. Written by DEBORAH TARRANT

Three leadership experts reveal the steps every leader should take to make their first 100 days in a new role a success.

What are the checkpoints a new leader should address if they want to succeed in their first 100 days?

1. A CLEAR MANDATE
A new leader must understand their going-in mandate – is it big, medium or small? It’s very possible to overreach and be too aggressive or underreach your mandate, cautions Robert Hargrove, an executive coach and former co-director of the Harvard Leadership Project. “Make sure your level of authority matches your level of responsibility; sometimes these two don’t match.”

2. DUE DILIGENCE STARTS BEFORE YOU DO
Gather as much information as possible before taking up the role. This due diligence period inevitably extends into the first 30 days as the new leader talks to all available stakeholders, including their own team. Importantly, define what value that team brings to the business, says organisational psychologist Judith Chapman.
“Make sure your level of authority matches your level of responsibility; sometimes these two don’t match.”

3. A VISION STATEMENT IS REQUIRED
Ideally, Hargrove believes, by day one, a leader should be able to outline: “Here’s where we are, here’s where we’re going and here’s how we’re going to get there.”

It may be a way to kick an early goal. New research from Oxford’s Sa?d Business School shows the share price of publicly listed companies skyrockets by more than 12 per cent when CEOs appointed from within the industry reveal their strategies – signs of their competence and experience – in their first 100 days.

If enough early insight is not available, the vision may need to be in broad brushstrokes and, importantly, kept agile.

4. PLAN FOR EARLY WINS
The cautionary advice is definitely plan for early wins, but make sure that they are achievable.

5. EMBRACE REALPOLITIK
Commonly, leaders in new roles find every move they make creates not only support but also opposition, observes Hargrove. This may mean reducing the vision, changing the time parameters or making deals to gain support.

Interrogate strong pushback. It’s possible to harness the energy of resistance, notes Professor Emmanuel Josserand of UTS Business School’s Self-Leadership Lab. “Maybe your opponents are fighting for an ideal. There’s a case for trying to deeply understand why. Often you’ll find there is something interesting there.”
“You’re not looking for people like you, but people who will bring you something different.”

6. GET THE RIGHT TEAM ON BOARD
A leader needs to understand where their strengths lie and where they’ll need support. “You’re not looking for people like you, but people who will bring you something different,” says Josserand. “In development programs there is a lack of understanding, even at high levels, about the differences in others. They conceptually understand it, but still judge people on their own criteria.”

The ability to understand other perspectives will come under pressure when organisations operate in competitive mode with emphasis on KPIs and performance management.

7. WORK ON YOURSELF
Most people can’t see themselves as others do, which means a sounding board in the form of a coach or mentor – someone you trust – is important for even the most experienced leaders. Signing up with a coach or getting the sage insights of mentors at least 30 days ahead of the start date is advised.