The First 90 Days: Core Capabilities Every Leader Needs for Organisational Success

Stepping into a New Leadership Role: The First 90 Days

Stepping into a new leadership role is both an exciting and challenging transition. The first 90 days are especially critical, as they set the tone for credibility, trust, and long-term impact, both within the organisation and externally.

During this time, leaders must quickly grasp the various interconnected factors that influence organisational performance and culture. These include strategy, change management, leadership styles, ethics, diversity, emotional intelligence, and identity, all of which shape how leaders are received and ultimately their effectiveness in the role.

The first 90 days aren’t about making sweeping changes or major declarations. Instead, they’re about learning, listening, and aligning.

Understanding the existing environment, recognising what works, and identifying quick wins are key to setting a solid foundation. Leaders should also develop short, medium, and long-term strategies that strengthen the status quo while helping guide the organisation in a new direction.

Leaders who navigate this period successfully are more likely to build the trust and credibility essential for long-term success.

Strategic Management: From Planning to Implementation

One of the first areas a leader must understand is the organisation's strategy and direction. Taking the time to learn about the organisation’s frameworks, processes, vision, and objectives is crucial in those first 90 days.

Transformation doesn’t always mean starting from scratch; it often means building on existing strengths, aligning resources, and addressing gaps to improve performance without unnecessary disruption.

A compelling strategy provides clarity and direction. But it’s not enough for a strategy to exist on paper; it must be translated into real-world action. Frameworks like McKinsey’s 7S remind us that successful transformation requires alignment across strategy, structure, systems, skills, staff, style, and shared values. When these elements come together, organisations create coherence and momentum.

One of the most important lessons I learned through the Master of Business Leadership was the importance of having the right people involved in every step of strategy, from planning to implementation. This brings me to the next critical area: organisational change.

Organisational Change: Navigating Resistance and Building Shared Vision

Change is deeply human, and resistance to it is natural. But when leaders acknowledge resistance, it can become a powerful catalyst for growth.

Understanding both self-identity (how individuals see their own role and values) and social identity (how they view themselves within teams and the organisation) is critical when initiating change. Change often threatens these identities, whether intentionally or not, leading to resistance and fractured relationships.

A lack of shared vision can exacerbate these challenges. Leaders who create and communicate a shared vision help people see their role in the organisation’s future, aligning individual and collective purpose. The first 90 days are the ideal time to observe, listen, and begin shaping this vision, ensuring it fosters unity rather than division.

Leadership Styles for Transformation

In the first 90 days, it becomes clear that no single leadership style works for every situation. The most effective leaders are those who adapt their style based on the context, whether it’s in times of urgency, growth, or development.

• Transformational Leadership inspires people by articulating a clear purpose, modelling behaviours, and energising commitment to long-term goals.

• Situational Leadership recognises that different circumstances require different responses. Leaders may need to be more directive in moments of crisis, more supportive during periods of growth, and more coaching-focused when developing future leaders.

• Servant Leadership places the development and well-being of others at the centre, fostering trust and collaboration to strengthen culture and performance.

In these early days, understanding when and how to apply these styles is key to establishing credibility as a leader and shaping the organisational culture.

Ethics, Diversity, and Cultural Influence

Ethics and integrity are non-negotiable in leadership. Ethical decision-making requires courage, transparency, and discipline, acting in the best interests of the organisation, even when it’s difficult.

Diversity goes beyond representation; it drives innovation, resilience, and strength. Leaders who embrace diversity in thought, background, and perspective enhance organisational decision-making and capability.

During the first 90 days, leaders should observe and understand the existing culture while beginning to influence it. This means building an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and where trust, safety, and alignment are key. A healthy culture isn’t created by chance; it’s intentional. Leaders must model the behaviours they wish to see and consistently reinforce alignment through their actions.

Emotional Intelligence: The Human Catalyst

While frameworks and leadership models provide structure, it’s emotional intelligence (EI) that gives them life. Leaders with high EI, those who demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation, create environments where trust, engagement, and resilience can thrive.

I remember taking a course with Richard Boyatzis on emotional intelligence, and it opened up a whole new understanding of how my emotions and behaviours impact others. This understanding is crucial for any leader, particularly in the early stages of their transition.

Emotional intelligence helps leaders build credibility, navigate resistance, and influence outcomes in ways that technical expertise alone cannot.

In the first 90 days, emotional intelligence allows leaders to read the room, connect with their teams, and manage the human aspects of leadership, ensuring that the strategy isn’t just designed, but embraced.

Why the People, Culture, and Identity Relationship Matters

Transformation is most successful when leaders understand that people, culture, and identity are inseparable. While processes and structures are important, it is people who drive change, and culture that sustains it.

Leaders who invest in both the technical and human dimensions of transformation, strategy, leadership, culture, emotional intelligence, and identity unlock the full potential of their organisations. They create environments where people feel connected to the organisation’s purpose, empowered to contribute, and proud of the culture they’re part of.

Yes, the first 90 days in a leadership role are intense. They require courage, curiosity, and humility, as well as a deep understanding of the forces shaping the organisation. Leaders who take the time to understand strategy, culture, identity, and values not only avoid fragmentation—they lay the foundation for lasting success.

Leadership is not about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions, building a shared vision, and aligning people and culture with purpose. When these elements come together in the first 90 days, leaders create an environment where transformation is empowering, not disruptive, and where both individuals and organisations thrive.

Closing Thoughts: Leading with Purpose

As you embark on your own leadership journey, think about how your first 90 days will shape your path. What steps will you take to understand your team, their needs, and the organisational culture? How will you build trust, credibility, and long-term success? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.