The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan

Executive Summary

Are you a veteran chief executive officer (CEO) taking the reins of your next organization? Starting a new role as a frontline supervisor? Something in between? Whether you are joining a new organization from the outside, getting promoted from within, leading a reorganization or restart, or merging teams following an acquisition, The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan will help you take charge, build your team, set direction, and deliver better results faster than anyone thought possible.

We've found that 40 percent of executives hired at the senior level are pushed out, fail or quit within 18 months. It's expensive in terms of lost revenue. It's expensive in terms of the individual's hiring. It's damaging to morale.

—Kevin Kelly, CEO of executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, discussing the firm's internal study of 20,000 searches.¹

What do these failed leaders not see, know, do, or deliver? In most cases, they dig their own holes by missing one or more crucial tasks in their first 100 days. Some don't understand the impact of their early words and actions and inadvertently send their new colleagues the wrong messages. Some focus on finding a new strategy, but fail to get buy-in and build trust with their new team. Some expend a lot of energy on the wrong projects without accomplishing the one or two things that their most important stakeholders expected them to deliver.

All are unaware of some of the important steps required to achieve a successful transition. ...