A new senior role is a reset. Your team, your peers, and your boss are forming opinions quickly, and the habits you set early tend to stick. Michael D. Watkins built a whole book around this window, The First 90 Days, and the core idea holds: new leaders who plan their transition deliberately get up to speed faster and make fewer costly mistakes.
It is also a high-stress moment. DDI's Global Leadership Forecast 2025 found that 71% of leaders report a significant rise in stress since stepping into their current role.
What should you do in days 1 to 30?
Listen and learn.
- Meet one-on-one with your team, peers, and key stakeholders. Ask what is working, what is not, and what they would change.
- Learn the numbers that matter and how decisions really get made.
- Agree with your boss on what success looks like at 90 days and at one year.
- Resist the urge to make big changes before you understand the history.
What should you do in days 31 to 60?
Choose priorities and secure early wins.
- Pick two or three priorities based on what you learned.
- Find early wins: visible, useful, and achievable within weeks.
- Start making the decisions that are clearly yours.
- Share what you are seeing with your boss and team.
What should you do in days 61 to 90?
Shape the team and the rhythm.
- Assess your team: who is in the right seat, who needs support, and where the gaps are.
- Set your operating rhythm: team meetings, priorities, and how commitments are tracked.
- Delegate deliberately, and decide what you will stop doing yourself.
- Check progress against the success measures you agreed with your boss.
What mistakes do new senior leaders make?
- Changing too much too fast before earning trust.
- Bringing the old playbook to a different situation.
- Neglecting peers, who often matter as much as the team.
- Staying in the details of the old job instead of growing into the new one.
How can coaching help in a new role?
The highest return on coaching is often in the first months of a new role, when habits form and the stakes are high. A coach gives you a candid thinking partner and a rhythm that keeps your priorities on track. Read the executive coaching guide, learn about coaching for leaders stepping into bigger roles, or book a free consultation.
Related reading
- What Is Executive Coaching? A Guide for Leaders Stepping Into Bigger Roles
- How to Choose an Executive Coach When You Are Moving Into a Bigger Role
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important thing to do in a new leadership role?
Agree with your boss early on what success looks like, then spend your first weeks listening before making major changes.
When should a new leader make changes to the team?
Usually after the first month or two, once you understand the people and the history. Urgent problems are the exception.
Should I get a coach when I start a new senior role?
Many leaders do. The first six to twelve months are when coaching tends to make the biggest difference.
