Wouldn't it be valuable to have someone by your side every step of the way, helping you to be at your best and most strategic, rather than being pulled in every direction and feeling you're not accomplishing anything and time is slipping by.
Being a success rather than a failure in your first 100 days is critical as it will impact your whole career. It’s important to look at the bigger picture as you step into your new leadership role – smashing your first 100 days and succeeding faster than expected, will mean it’s likely you’ll get promoted quicker and remain on the leadership career fast track.
Let’s flip the coin and consider a different, less palatable scenario. If you get off to a slow start and fail to make the right impression and deliver quick wins, you seriously risk your chances of success in your new role, which can stall or reduce your future career prospects. Seen in the bigger picture context, the importance of your first 100 days in a senior leader role cannot be underestimated.
Never has it been so important to prove yourself quickly. In the current climate, there’s huge competition, change and scrutiny, and high expectations and demands on a new-to-role leader. The pressure is on and although you have a three month ‘honeymoon’ period, once you hit your 101st day, you are expected to make a positive impact within the business – it’s a tipping point. No-longer are you perceived as the new kid on the block, consuming value. It’s the breakeven point at which you’re expected to start to strategically contribute and value add.
What I’ve experienced myself and heard time and again from other leaders I’ve coached, is the fact that a new-to-role leader is seen as a knight in shining armour, there to transform the relevant business area and fix all the problems and dysfunctions. What tends to happen more often than not is that leader gets inundated by requests, meetings, initiatives and projects and tends to become the fire fighter, being rushed from pillar to post and taken off strategic track. Think of the alternative, however, a focused, visionary, high-performing leader who at the end of the 100 days is perceived as credible and marked for succession and the career fast track.
My First 100 Days Capitaliser coaching programme will give you a step-by-step guide to keep you in control, highly strategic and intensely focused on what will give you the best return. Sign up on the homepage of the website and you’ll be able to download the high-level First 100 Days Capitaliser Checklist which is a snapshot of the programme.
Ambitious leaders who want to ensure success and guarantee their top talent and succession status within an organisation should take heed.