The New Leader’s Journal: Early Wins

I changed my mind on the early win. I’d originally thought we’d focus on a new advertising campaign. Still think that’s important. It’s just going to take longer than I’d expected.

On the other hand, we should be able to launch some new PR efforts sooner, so we will over-invest there to get those in the market by  end of September.

Reflections

Early wins are the third building block of building a high-performing team in The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan (Imperative – Milestones – Early Wins – Role Sort – Communication).  It’s critical to get them chosen by day 60 so they can be delivered by month six.  We’re on track.

I know there will be a conversation early next year after I’ve been with the organization about six months.  Someone will turn to my boss, Jack, and ask him “How’s the new CMO doing?”  It’s important for him to be able to say “Let me tell you what he’s gotten done….”  Of course, I won’t have gotten anything done.  But my team will have delivered some of these early wins.  The PR effort is one that is relatively easy to deliver, will have an impact, is something important to Jack, and something that he can talk about.


The New Leader’s Journal is a fictional exercise illustrating the prescriptions and tools in the 3rd edition of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action PlanClick here to request an executive summary of the book.  Click here to order a copy.

Read More Articles

Functional Leader Onboarding: Converge Before You Evolve

The fastest way for a new functional or operational leader to fail is to start changing the team before becoming part of it. The better sequence is simpler and harder: converge first,…

Read Article
Group of executives planning strategies in a office.
Integration Leadership Isn’t a Detail. It’s the Deal.

KKR's $5.7 billion agreement to acquire Integer Holdings closed a strategic review that started back in April. The medtech manufacturer's board ran the process. Advisors ran the numbers. Lawyers ran…

Read Article
In M&A Integration, Culture Isn’t the Soft Part. It’s the Job.

Private equity has been on a buying spree. Bolt-on acquisitions, platform builds, roll-ups across logistics, healthcare, professional services, and beyond. Deal teams have gotten faster and more disciplined about diligence,…

Read Article
The First 100 Days Don’t Start on Day One. They Start Now.

When Infosys named Ashiss Kumar Dash as CEO-designate in July 2026, the announcement came alongside news that the company had lost a major European client - one of several large…

Read Article
A large crowd of people seated closely together, viewed from behind, attending an event or presentation in a dimly lit venue.
The Stakeholders You’re Not Thinking About – And Why They Can Derail Your First 100 Days

Cracker Barrel made headlines when its relatively new CEO departed after less than two years in the role they were hired to transform. The reasons were complex, but one thread…

Read Article
A person holding a clipboard with a blank sheet of paper and a pen poised to write
Outcome-Based Governance: Aligning Policies, Guidelines, and Principles

Policies channel compliance. Guidelines invite contribution. Principles earn commitment. Start with how you want people to behave at work and then design your governance stack to reinforce, not inhibit that.  Three…

Read Article