The First 90 Days as a New CEO

Many people have asked how I approach the first 90 days as a new CEO. 

While every situation is unique, I've found that a consistent blueprint dramatically improves the odds of success.

Here are the five principles I come back to every time.

1. Make your own assessment.

Don't inherit opinions—develop your own. Before making major decisions, validate everything through firsthand observation, data, and facts.

2. Cast a wide net.

Meet with leaders, employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, competitors, and industry experts. Spend time in the field; there is no substitute for seeing the business firsthand.

3. Listen with intention.

This is often the hardest part for a new CEO. It requires patience (something I'm still working on), genuine curiosity, and disciplined listening. Encourage people to bring potential solutions, not just problems. Capture every conversation—AI meeting assistants make this easier than ever—and those insights will become invaluable.

4. Synthesize and prioritize.

Look for recurring themes, root causes, and issues that matter most. Focus on four to six priorities that create alignment and measurable progress. Resist the temptation to launch 15 strategic initiatives at once.

5. Build a disciplined action plan.

Define the desired outcome, key actions, owners, milestones, and timelines for each priority. Review progress regularly to maintain accountability and remove obstacles.

This process typically takes 60-90 days, depending on the company's size and the magnitude of the challenges. Along the way, you'll identify exceptional employees, strengthen customer relationships, and uncover opportunities that may not have been visible from the boardroom.

By the end of the process, you won’t have all the answers. But you’ll have asked the right questions, earned trust, and built alignment around what matters most.

Once that's in place, leadership becomes less about planning and more about execution.