A 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. We also uncovered numerous landmines for leaders in this situation. And, with the best of intentions, my client was about to step on a number of them. 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. Based on our research and my experience, there are six things the most effective leaders do to avoid failing in a new role.
Via Mel Riddile
This was a good article in HBR on why so many executives fail early in taking on a new job. Where to begin is sometimes the greatest challenge. Do any of these landmines sound familiar as you stepped into your most recent role? What do you do to minimize this risk of hiring failure when asking new CEOs/executives to "fix" a mess?