When referring to the significant challenges of her new organization, she consistently spoke in third-person references - they, them, those people. Four weeks after my client’s arrival, I noticed a distinctive pattern in her language. To combat their anxiety, they actively avoid being implicated in the mess in subtle but damaging ways. Resist the temptation to emotionally distance yourself. Difficult and unfamiliar circumstances can make leaders feel vulnerable. Based on our research and my experience, there are six things the most effective leaders do to avoid failing in a new role. When a leader inherits a mess created by others, especially when arriving as an outsider, the situation can feel fragile and knowing where to begin the long journey of change can feel precarious.
And, with the best of intentions, my client was about to step on a number of them. We also uncovered numerous landmines for leaders in this situation. Morale was low, while distrust and anxiety were rising.Ī 10-year longitudinal study on executive transitions that my organization conducted found that more than 50% of executives who inherit a mess fail within their first 18 months on the job. Her predecessor had made a failed attempt at reorganizing before leaving for the competition. Recruited from outside the organization, she faced multiple problems: The business was losing money, costs were bloated, customer loyalty was fading, and key talent was defecting. An executive I work with recently stepped into the biggest challenge of her career.
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