Your First 100 Days As A Leader Will Make Or Break You

There are seven major onboarding land mines that you are likely to come across as a new leader and there are specific points in the first 100 days where you are most likely to encounter them, explain authors:

• George Brant
• Jayme A. Check
• Jorge Pedraza

in their new third edition of, The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan, in bookstores and online on October 10.

Ill-prepared, without a plan, and lacking proper onboarding, the land mines will get you.  And, if you miss one or more of the critical tasks that must be accomplished in your first 100 days, you'll likely fail.

The book is packed with:

• Examples and case studies
• Action plans
• Tools, techniques and tricks of the trade

The authors also explain why you need to start even before your official first day on the job. For example:

• Cultural engagement is extremely important in a successful transition; and it is essential that you know what your cultural engagement plan will be before walking in the door for Day One.
• A new leader's role begins as soon as you are an acknowledged candidate for the job. Everything you do and say and don't do and don't say will send powerful signals, starting well before you even walk in the door on Day One.

By Day 30 share with your team:

• Mission -- Why here, why exist, what business are we in?
• Vision -- Future picture - what we want to become; where we are going.
• Values -- Believes and moral principles that guide attitudes, decisions, and actions.
• Objectives -- Broadly defined, qualitative performance requirements.
• Goals -- The quantitative measures of the objectives that define success.
• Strategies -- Broad choices around how the team will achieve its objectives.
• Plans -- The most important projects and initiatives that will bring each strategy to fruition.

By Day 60:

• Overinvest in early wins to build team confidence.

This must-read book for anyone in a new leadership role also includes:

• A new approach called BRAVE on how to engage hearts and minds in the intended culture.
• A 100-Hour Action Plan for crisis situations.

Note:  Thanks to the authors for sending me an advance copy of their book.