Mastering Leadership Transitions: Practical Strategies for Your First 90 Days

Embarking on a new chapter in your career journey, especially as you step into a higher executive role, is certainly exciting. However, it also presents a number of challenges. How can you effectively navigate the transition, build credibility, and ensure you make an impact right from the start?

This summary, based on our podcast episode "Leadership Transitions: How to Hit the Ground Running in Your New Role" highlights strategies to help you navigate this important transition and set yourself up for long-term success. For those of you seeking practical insights, we dive into the experiences and lessons learned from coaching leaders during critical career transitions. You can listen to the full episode here .

Understanding the New Terrain

One of the most immediate hurdles leaders face when stepping into a new role is reconciling what is familiar with the unknown. Moving into a new position often requires letting go of tasks you previously excelled at and delegating them to others—people who might have less experience or a different approach. This can be difficult, especially when your previous expertise has been central to your success.

I often work with clients on an exercise to visually map their transition. We draw a triangle representing the old job and a circle overlapping it for the new role. The intersection highlights what can continue, but more importantly, the non-overlapping parts reveal the key challenge: what to let go of and what new tasks to embrace. This kind of mapping allows leaders to clarify expectations and identify potential gaps in skills or knowledge they will need to address. It's about getting crystal clear on what success looks like in the new role.

People Development: Leadership's True Measure

A common pitfall for new executives is trying to do too much themselves. Yet, as you ascend the leadership ladder, your ability to drive success increasingly depends on your ability to develop others. True leadership is less about being the expert and more about fully utilizing the collective intelligence of the people around you.

A crucial mindset shift is required: Leadership is no longer about your individual performance but about how you can create the conditions for your team to succeed. Delegation isn't just about lightening your load—it's about empowering your team and fostering their growth. A good leader knows how to let go of the day-to-day tasks and focus on developing the capabilities of their people. This shift can be tough, especially when the work you used to do is in the hands of someone less experienced. But stepping back and allowing them to make mistakes is part of their development.

Influence: Leading Without Formal Authority

A challenge many executives face, especially in larger organizations, is the need to lead through influence rather than formal authority. In matrix organizations or when overseeing cross-functional teams, your ability to achieve results often hinges on how well you exert influence on 'the system' rather than controlling it.

Influence does not mean manipulating others. It's about listening deeply, understanding the challenges your stakeholders face and helping them solve problems in ways that align with the organization’s objectives. It's about making your presence and contributions genuinely impactful, leading others to seek your guidance willingly.

The Balance Between Quick Wins and Long-Term Success

There is often pressure on new leaders to prove their worth immediately. The desire to achieve quick wins can be overwhelming, especially when you want to justify the decision to promote you over someone else. However, moving too quickly without fully understanding the new landscape can backfire. It's important to slow down and first build relationships, understand the nuances of the business and the team dynamics. The balance between action and observation is key to ensuring that changes stick and that you're leading the organization in a sustainable way.

Complementing Leadership Training with Executive Coaching

Many organizations offer leadership training programs to support leaders in transitions. These can be highly valuable, but they are not always enough on their own. Training tends to focus on frameworks and models that look great on paper but can be difficult to apply in the real world. This is where executive coaching comes in: tailoring support to the individual, helping you address specific challenges as they arise in real time.

Coaching provides the reflective space that leaders often lack in their busy schedules. It allows you to explore blind spots, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and develop the skills needed for long-term success in your new role. The combination of structured learning from training programs and personalized insights from coaching can significantly accelerate your transition.

Reflection Questions for Leaders

Here are some key questions that can help you reflect on your leadership transition to make it most effective:

• How can I strike a balance between my drive to achieve immediate wins and the time required to nurture relationships and comprehend various stakeholders' perspectives?
• When comparing my new role to my previous position, what do I need to continue doing, what must I stop doing, and what new skills or tasks do I need to take on?
• Are there behaviors, traits or approaches that made me successful in the past that might now hold me back in this new role? How do I let go of these?

For more insights and practical tips on leadership transitions, listen to our complete podcast episode “Leadership Transitions: How to Hit the Ground Running in Your New Role” on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or our website .

Second Crack — The Leadership Podcast is hosted by Martin Alderg?rd and Dr. Gerrit Pelzer . We explore everyday leadership dilemmas and paradoxes, and we ask thought-provoking questions to help leaders grow. Feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation to explore how we can help you accelerate success in your new executive role.

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