How to Succeed in a New Leadership Role: 7 Strategies for Your First 90 Days

The first three months in a new leadership role are crucial. If you start off strong you don't just build momentum in that role, you make yourself a solid bet for future opportunities and promotions too. Start off slow and it can be hard to regain lost ground.

Whether you've moved internally, joined a new organisation, or been promoted, those initial 90 days can feel like being under a microscope. You're juggling expectations, trying to build credibility, and figuring out what really matters (because, let's face it, you can't do everything at once).

There's a real skill to successfully transitioning into a new leadership role, and the earlier in your career you master it, the better. So, let's look at what actually matters when stepping into a new leadership position.

How to Succeed in a New Leadership Role: Rethinking What Success Looks Like

Most people start a new role with a mindset of "I need to prove myself quickly." That pressure can lead to working at a frantic pace, saying yes to everything, and trying to fix any problem that comes your way.

But that approach rarely works. In fact, it often backfires spectacularly, leaving you exhausted and your team feeling steamrollered.

When I'm coaching clients through leadership transitions, I encourage them to view success through five essential pillars:

Vision: Getting clear on direction and priorities (your own and the team's)

Relationships: Building trust with the right people, in the right way

Performance: Understanding what actually drives results in this specific context

Delivery: Taking targeted action that demonstrates competence

Mindset: Staying true to yourself while adapting to the new challenge

This framework helps you balance the short-term need to demonstrate credibility with the longer-term work of building sustainable impact. Let's explore what actually works when stepping into a new leadership role.

1. Set Direction, But Don't Rush to Fix Everything

When you're new, you spot things that don't work pretty quickly. It's tempting to dive in and start fixing - after all, that's probably part of why you were hired. But rushing to implement changes before you fully understand the context is a recipe for disaster.

What looks inefficient or illogical at first glance often has a backstory you don't yet know. The process that seems clunky might be addressing a risk you haven't encountered. The meeting structure that feels excessive might be the result of painful miscommunications in the past. Equally, you might be absolutely on the money that they all need to change, but telling people they are doing things wrong is not going to win friends and influence people.

Within your first month, focus on:

• Getting crystal clear on what your boss and other key stakeholders actually expect from you (not what you think they expect)

• Understanding the current state - where things are working well and where they're not

• Identifying the truly pressing priorities vs the nice-to-haves

• Communicating enough direction to give people confidence, without committing to specifics too early

This measured approach shows you're strategic rather than reactive. It also prevents the embarrassment of making changes you'll need to reverse later when you discover why things are the way they are.

2. Build Trust Through Listening Before Acting

Trust is leadership currency, and it's earned through consistent behaviour, not grand declarations or clever presentations. In your first weeks, prioritise understanding over being understood.

Have one-to-one conversations with team members and key stakeholders focused on learning rather than impressing. Some questions worth asking:

• What's working well that we should protect?

• What challenges are you facing that I might be able to support with?

• What would you like to see change or improve?

• How do you prefer to work and communicate?

Take notes, look for patterns, and reflect on what you're hearing. This not only gives you valuable intelligence but shows people you value their experience and perspective.

You may have been hired to lead change, but your team needs to trust you before they'll follow you into unfamiliar territory. Listening builds that trust faster than anything else.

3. Map and Invest in Critical Relationships Early

Your success in a leadership role depends heavily on the quality of your relationships - not just with your team, but across and upward in the organisation.

In your first few weeks, identify the stakeholders who:

• Control resources or priorities affecting your team

• Depend on your team's outputs or decisions

• Hold historical knowledge about your area

• Can provide political context or guidance

• Will be crucial to your personal success

Don't limit yourself to formal reporting lines. Some of your most important relationships may be with peers in other departments or people with influence but no formal authority.

For each critical relationship, think about:

• What you need from them

• What they likely need from you

• How you can add value to their priorities

• The communication style and frequency that will work best

This mapping helps you be strategic rather than reactive in how you spend your relationship-building time. Not all stakeholders need the same level of attention, and not all need it at the same time.

4. Establish Your Leadership Style Through Consistent Signals

Everything you do and say in your first 90 days sends signals about your leadership style and priorities. These signals are being watched and interpreted, whether you're conscious of them or not.

Consider what your actions are communicating about:

What you value (What do you recognise? What do you challenge?)

How you handle pressure (Do you stay calm or become reactive?)

Your working style (Are you accessible? Collaborative? Directive?)

Your priorities (Where do you spend your time and attention?)

Your authenticity (Do your actions match your words?)

Rather than trying to be all things to all people, decide on the core elements of your leadership approach and make sure your behaviour consistently reinforces these.

Authenticity builds trust; inconsistency erodes it.

5. Get Clear on Quick Wins vs Long-Term Impact

The pressure to show impact can lead new leaders to focus exclusively on visible, short-term fixes. While quick wins matter for building credibility, they need to be balanced with more foundational work.

In your first 90 days, aim for a mix that includes:

Quick wins (1-4 weeks): Visible improvements that demonstrate competence and build momentum

Medium-term projects (1-3 months): Initiatives that address significant pain points or opportunities

Foundation-laying (ongoing): Less visible work that strengthens capabilities or addresses root causes

Be explicit with stakeholders about this balanced approach. Tell them what you're focusing on now versus what you're planning for later (and why). This shows you're thinking strategically rather than just reacting to what's in front of you.

6. Navigate the Political Landscape (Without Getting Lost in It)

Every organisation has politics, and pretending they don't exist won't serve you well. Take it from someone who tried! In a new leadership role, you need to understand the unwritten rules and power structures without becoming cynical or game-playing.

Pay attention to:

• Who influences decisions, both formally and informally

• How those decisions get made (in meetings and formal discussions or in pockets outside of formal settings)

• How information flows (or doesn't) between teams and levels

• The history behind current tensions or alliances

• What gets rewarded beyond the formal incentive structure

This awareness helps you navigate effectively while staying true to your values. The goal isn't to "play politics", it’s to understand the context in which decisions get made and influence flows so that you can do justice to your leadership vision.

7. Manage Your Energy and Mindset

The intensity of a new leadership role can be exhausting. Many leaders underestimate the emotional and mental demands of the transition, focusing solely on the practical challenges.

Protect your resilience by:

• Building reflective time into your schedule

• Finding a trusted sounding board (mentor, coach, or peer)

• Setting boundaries around your time and attention

• Noticing and challenging unhelpful thinking patterns

• Celebrating progress and small wins along the way

Remember that people around you take cues from your emotional state. If you appear consistently stressed or overwhelmed, it affects their confidence and how open they might choose to be with you. Managing yourself isn't a luxury; it's a leadership responsibility.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your First 90 Days

Even experienced leaders can stumble during transitions. Watch out for these common traps:

Trying to do too much too soon: Overwhelming yourself and your team with changes before understanding the full context

Avoiding difficult conversations: Letting performance or behaviour issues fester rather than setting clear expectations

Neglecting stakeholder relationships: Focusing on your team and / or your boss while underprioritising important relationships elsewhere

Operating at the wrong level: Getting drawn into operational details instead of creating strategic clarity

Trying to please everyone: Making decisions by consensus rather than having the courage to make necessary but potentially unpopular calls

Each of these pitfalls can undermine your effectiveness in subtle but significant ways. Being aware of them helps you navigate around them.

How Coaching Can Accelerate Your Leadership Transition

While these strategies provide a solid foundation, every leadership transition comes with unique challenges. Working with a coach during this critical period can significantly accelerate your impact and confidence.

Leadership coaching gives you:

• Structured space to reflect on challenges and opportunities

• Objective feedback on your approach and blind spots

• Tailored strategies for your specific context and goals

• Accountability for your commitments and development areas

• Support for navigating complex stakeholder dynamics

Ready to Make Your First 90 Days Count?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. Book a free virtual cuppa and let’s talk about how coaching could support you through your first 90 days: