The First 90 Days in Government: Critical Success Strategies for New Public Managers at All Levels

Introduction: Getting Up to Speed

TO STRIVE AND FAIL to be chosen for a leadership role is painful; to strive and succeed can be downright intimidating. Why? Because taking a new role means leaving behind the confines of what you know how to do well and embarking on an often uncomfortable journey of personal development. It means moving from a position where you understood the politics and had formed key alliances to one where all this connective tissue has to be rebuilt. It means redefining for yourself, and for others, the roles you play in organizations. For the leaders we interviewed, transitions were exhilarating but they were also, and for good reason, sources of considerable anxiety, especially in the first few critical months of taking ...