What new directors do and say at the beginning of their tenure may be closely scrutinized by board members, … [+]
The new leaders will have one thing in common with President-elect Donald Trump when he begins his second term in the White House on Monday.
As has been the case with presidential administrations since FDR’s first term, Trump’s will be closely watched in the first 100 days to see how well or poorly he fares. The same goes for new business leaders. What they do and say early in their tenure can be closely scrutinized by board members, staff and stakeholders.
To help ensure success during their first 100 days on the job, leadership experts, CEOs and observers said there are major pitfalls and speed bumps new leaders should avoid.
Moving too fast
“Newly hired leaders run into trouble when they make changes too soon after taking office, before they’ve had a chance to develop relationships and understand the organization,” noted Moshe Cohen, a senior lecturer at Boston University, via the email.
Making changes to an organization too quickly can backfire.
“By making changes too quickly, new leaders undermine processes that are critical to the organization’s success and fail to generate buy-in from the people they need to implement the changes they seek to implement. With neither allies nor an understanding of the company, they struggle to be effective, are blamed for the organization’s performance, and are often removed from their leadership positions,” he noted.
Having preconceived notions
“I think the older you get, the more observation versus acting you have to do. Going in with preconceived notions from your previous roles or a mandate for rapid, rapid change and not taking enough time to understand the current state, risks and opportunities from multiple perspectives is a big mistake. unless expressly required to act quickly. ,” advised Adam Ennamli, head of risk and security at General Bank of Canada, via email.
Lack of trust
“Ignoring the importance of building trust with new team members. As a new leader, one of your top priorities during the first few months should be to establish a strong sense of trust with your team members. It is essential that they feel confident that you support them and are available to share ideas and concerns. Without this foundational trust, strengthening team dynamics can become increasingly challenging over time,” commented Carolina Caro, CEO of Conscious Leadership Partners, via email.
Not listening
“As a new leader, actively listening to your team members is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of different perspectives. This approach enables you to identify strengths and areas for development within your team and organization,” advised Caro.
By not asking questions
“The biggest mistake a new leader can make is to hesitate to ask questions. The first few months in any role are a critical window to seek clarity and gain a deeper understanding of how the organization works—without fear of judgment. Each company has its own unique processes, culture and expectations, so asking questions early allows you to adapt quickly and build trust,” noted Eleanor Hayden, founder and CEO of Hayden Consultancy.
Not understanding the culture
“As a business owner, one of the most common mistakes new leaders make is to make big changes without making the proper effort to understand team dynamics or company culture. This leaves team members feeling out of touch and to resist leadership.” Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery,” noted via email.
Not by building relationships
“Another mistake young leaders make is not building relationships as soon as possible. It is not enough to be the one who sets a direction; you have to earn trust. If you don’t listen, educate and connect, it’s very hard to make things work or get people to buy into ideas. It is essential to establish respect and rapport in the first three months,” advised Sons.
Not setting expectations
“First-time leaders often struggle to set expectations and give feedback in a healthy way. Because they are often excited to prove themselves, they focus on achieving goals and delivering results. This usually goes one of two ways, tyranny or people-pleasing,” noted Emily Walton, founder and trainer at Alo Consulting, via email.
Some leadership styles can create more problems than they solve.
“The tyrant dictates and micromanages, expecting this to bring about their desired results. However, it frustrates high performers and stifles autonomy and innovation. Whereas, people pleasers are afraid to push and hold others accountable, often causing them to inadvertently take on extra work and encouraging mediocrity throughout their team,” she explained.
Find the right balance
There can be as many failure triggers as success factors for new business leaders taking over companies.
Paying close attention to how Trump fares in the first 100 days of his second term in the White House could provide important leadership lessons for incumbents — no matter how long they’ve been in the job.
Another way to tip the scales in their favor is to do as much due diligence as possible on the organization and its people. BEFORE agreeing to take the job. Otherwise, what appeared to be a great opportunity and a perfect fit could end up being a career pitfall in disguise.
