The Leadership Accelerator: The Playbook for Transitioning into Your New Executive Role

CHAPTER 16

Stakeholder Relationships

Four Considerations

Among the three key resources that transitioning executives need to manage effectively—time, talent, and relationships—the last may be the most important. Establishing effective relationships can, however, be the most vexing and challenging task for an executive who’s new to the job.

Indeed, the unhappiest participants I encounter in a Transition Lab often have a relationship challenge they must navigate in the C-suite. Prickly relations can drain mental energy, distracting the executive from critical tasks and even undermining the effectiveness of their team. In the worst cases, these sorts of barriers lead to isolation in the executive suite, with CEOs sometimes replacing an executive ...