New executives will have one thing in common with President-elect Donald Trump when he begins his second term in the White House on Monday.
The first 100 days of a president’s administration are closely followed to see how well or poorly he does in the White House. The same can be true for new business executives. What they do and say early in their tenure will 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 that new executives should avoid.
Moving Too Quickly
“Newly hired leaders get in trouble when they make changes too soon after taking office, before they have a chance to develop relationships and understand the organization,” Moshe Cohen, a senior lecturer at Boston University, pointed out via email.
Making changes at an organization too soon can backfire.
“By making changes too quickly, new leaders damage 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 are looking to enact. With neither allies nor an understanding of the company, they struggle to be effective, get blamed for the organization’s performance, and are often removed from their leadership positions,” he noted.
Having Preconceived Notions
“I think the more senior you are, the more observation vs. acting you need to do. Coming in with preconceived notions from your previous roles or with a mandate for quick, fast change, and not taking adequate time to understand the current state, the risks, and opportunities from multiple perspectives, is a major mistake, unless explicitly asked to act fast,” Adam Ennamli, chief risk and security officer at General Bank of Canada, counseled via email.
A Lack Of Trust
“Ignoring the importance of establishing 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’s crucial for them to feel confident that you support them and are approachable for sharing ideas and concerns. Without this foundational trust, strengthening team dynamics can become increasingly challenging over time,” Carolina Caro, CEO of Conscious Leadership Partners, commented via email.
Not Listening
“As a new leader, actively listening to your team members is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of diverse perspectives. This approach enables you to identify both the strengths and areas for development within your team and organization,” Caro advised.
Not Asking Questions
“The biggest mistake a new leader can make is hesitating 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 operates—without fear of judgment. Every company has its own unique processes, culture, and expectations, so asking questions early allows you to quickly adapt and build confidence,” Eleanor Hayden, founder and CEO of Hayden Consultancy, observed via email.
Not Understanding The Culture
“As a business owner, one of the most common errors new leaders make is making large changes without putting in the proper effort to understand the team dynamics or the company’s culture.This leads to team members feeling out of touch and resisting the leadership,” Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery,” observed via email.
Not Building Relationships
“Another mistake new leaders make is not building relationships as early as possible. It’s not enough to be the one that sets a direction; you have to gain confidence. If you don’t listen, educate, and make connections, it’s very difficult to get things to work or get people to buy into ideas. It’s crucial to establish respect and alignment in the first three months,” Sons recommended.
Not Setting Expectations
“First-time leaders often struggle to set expectations and provide feedback in a healthy manner. Because they are often excited to prove themselves, they focus on meeting goals and delivering results. This usually plays out in one of two ways, the tyrant or the people-pleaser,” Emily Walton, founder and coach at Alo Consulting, observed via email.
Some leadership styles can create more problems than they solve.
“The tyrant dictates and micromanages, expecting this to drive their desired outcomes. However, it frustrates high performers and stifles autonomy and innovation. Whereas, the people pleaser is afraid to push back and hold others accountable, often leading to them inadvertently taking on additional work and encouraging mediocrity across their team,” she explained.
Find The Right Balance
There can be as many failure triggers as success factors for new business leaders who take the helm at companies.
Paying close attention to how Trump does in his first 100 days of his second term in the White House could provide important leadership lessons for executives—no matter how long they have been on the job.
Another way to tip the scales in their favor is to do as much due diligence as possible about the organization and its people before agreeing to take the job. Otherwise, what appeared to be a great opportunity and a perfect fit, could wind up being a career pothole in disguise.
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