Your First 60 Days as a Leader

Chapter 5. Your Opening Gambit: Negotiating the Critical First 10 Days

Everything you’ve prepared will now be put to the test. As soon as you walk in the door, the implicit and explicit negotiations begin.

Consider verbal and nonverbal communication as you plan. In his book Power Cues, public speaking expert Nick Morgan relates that research has shown that people base their understanding much more on your body language, tone, and appearance than on your actual words. Be intentional about where you deliver your message and how you will dress. Your office and other surroundings function as a stage. How will you set the scene? What props will you employ? Even the seat you choose at a conference table sends a signal: sitting at the head conveys more formal authority than sitting in the center. What do you want to project? If your intent is to loosen up a stodgy bureaucracy, forgoing the traditional seating arrangement can be a subtle, but potent, message. By contrast, if you are taking over a unit in need of direction, plan to go straight for the power chair.

Even as you focus on your first 10 days, don’t forget the marathon analogy. A great runner will consider her abilities in the context of the course, the conditions, and the competitive field, and then decide whether to start fast or hang back for a bit. There is no single right answer. You do your best to set yourself up for success by carefully considering the context.

If all this planning feels a bit manipulative, relax. It ...