In a working life of 35 years, a manager can expect to make at least 10 job changes - or transitions - where the demands for rapid business delivery and effective leadership will only increase with each new job. According to recent research, over 25 per cent of new leaders appointed from within fail within 18 months; the figure is closer to 40 per cent for new leaders appointed externally. The cost of this rate of failure is high, ranging from financial to performance to organizational disruption. This book identifies the sources of these failures and how to overcome them. The authors show that, whether the new leader has arrived as an external appointment or has been promoted internally, the experiences can be divided into three phases: Arriving, Surviving and Thriving. By analysing the different features of the leader's experience at each of these stages, the authors are able to provide a strategy for leaders to take charge and succeed in their new roles.
Clear, actionable guidance toward managing a major leadership change Transitions at the Top is an insightful, informative guide to navigating a change in leadership. A smooth transition is critical to both the health of the organization and the success of the new leader, but good planning and strong strategy can help organizations come out fresher and more driven on the other side. This book provides the specific principles, guidelines, and actions that boards, C-suite executives, and HR leaders need to guarantee a successful CEO transition. Continuity is key as one leader passes the mantle to a successor, and this book spans the steps and events that take place from when the candidate accepts the offer, all the way through the point where a critical mass of followers have accepted him or her as the established leader. Coverage includes guidance on who should be engaged in the process, as well as role-specific advice for each member of the transition management team. Many books have been written to advise new incoming CEOs, but there is little guidance available for the organization as a whole. This book provides actionable advice on smoothing the transition without breaking stride. Maintain continuity during leadership transitions Strengthen focus on culture, systems, and processes Engage all influential executives in smoothing the transition Lay a foundation to help the new leader succeed The transition management team plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the organization during a time of major change. Strong strategy becomes critical when an organization is in flux, and high engagement is key. Transitions at the Top provides expert insight, clear guidance, and a solid plan for a smoother transition.
An executive’s transition into any leadership role can be a challenge. Such transitions do not always go smoothly, and the negative consequences can be significant. This is particularly so for Chief Information Officers (CIOs), as the role has evolved significantly over the years yet remains deeply ambiguous. This is despite information and technology moving from the periphery of an organization to a fundamental driver of innovation and competitive advantage. This book is to help the newly appointed CIO “take charge”: the process of learning and taking action that the newly appointed CIO goes through until s/he has mastered the new assignment in sufficient depth to be effective in the role. This book provides keen insights into the challenges faced by today's CIOs while transitioning into a new role and enlightens readers on how to navigate the organizational environment in order to implement necessary changes. With plenty of practical tools and insights it will help you to: • Decide how best to approach the job • Prioritize the first areas of the business you should attend to • Draw up your goals for the first few weeks and months into the role • Find out if there are there any decisions that you can postpone making Based on over 200 interviews with CIOs, CxOs, and recruiters, this book offers readers guidance on how to take on the role of a business executive with special responsibility for information and technology, with ten key prescriptions to maximize success.
"Leaders in Transition brings a new perspective on why some leaders succeed more than others when taking charge of an organisation. Based on in-depth case studies, when four new leaders and their teams in large and complex international organisations were tracked for over a year, this book uncovers that success in managing transition is directly related to leaders' ability to balance tensions, appropriately to the context. The reasons for each leader's effectiveness are explored and analysed, allowing the authors then to extrapolate some general conclusions about the ways in which these tensions reveal themselves during all leadership transitions. Evidently, the success or failure of a new leader is the result of the way multiple actors (the new leader, his or her boss, his organisation and its stakeholders) behave, before and during the taking charge. These multiple interactions are revealed and discussed.The reader will find in the book a rich description of the main elements which he or she can learn to combine and balance in ways which are appropriate for the context and which will enable greater mastery of the transitional phase of leadership."--Provided by publisher.
Offers sound advice for executives and managers taking over new positions and for organizations undergoing leadership changes. Provides practical guidance on all phases of the leadership transition process--from initial planning, through the executive search process, to the major areas that the new leader must address over time to be successful.
"Right From the Start, " with its timeless lessons of leadership, succession, and transition, is designed for anyone who wants to ensure that the first steps in a new job will lead to enduring success.
This stimulating reference enables companies and managers adjusting to new positions to cope with the difficulties associated with change and transition. Identifying the potential pitfalls that arise when moving into a new position and outlining ways to overcome them, this essay provides guidance to prevent failure and disruption for the new manager or executive. To make the complexities of transition more manageable, the process is split into three phases--Arriving, Surviving, and Thriving--and the different features of the leader's responsibilities at each stage are strategically analyzed.
Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job. In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. The First 90 Days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly. Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period. Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without. "Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins's The First 90 Days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition." -Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments "Every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you." -Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army "Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role. The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter." -Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis "Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins's timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable." -Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting "The First 90 Days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully." -Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, timeBLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council
The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan, and the included downloadable forms, has proven itself to be a valuable resource for new leaders in any organization. This revision includes 40% new material and updates -- including new and updated downloadable forms -- with new chapters on: * A new chapter on POSITIONING yourself for a leadership role * A new chapter on what to do AFTER THE FIRST 100 DAYS * A new chapter on getting PROMOTED FROM WITHIN and what to do then
