Acknowledgments vii

Executive Summary ix

Tools (Note the most up-to-date, full, editable versions of all tools are downloadable at primegenesis.com/tools.) xxxi

Part I The New Leader’s 100- Day Action Plan 1

Chapter 1 Position Yourself for Success: Get the Job Make Sure It Is Right for You Avoid Common Land Mines 3

Chapter 2 The Job Starts When You Accept the Offer: Leverage the Fuzzy Front End 23

Chapter 3 Take Control of Day One: Make a Powerful First Impression Confirm Your Entry Message 59

Chapter 4 Evolve the Culture Leverage Diversity 69

Chapter 5 Manage Communication, Especially Digitally with Your Remote Team 83

Chapter 6 Pivot to Strategy: Co-create the Burning Imperative by Day 30 97

Chapter 7 Drive Operational Accountability: Embed Milestone Management by Day 45 117

Chapter 8 Select Early Wins by Day 60 to Deliver Within 6 Months 135

Chapter 9 Build a High- Performing Team: Realign, Acquire, Enable, and Mentor by Day 70 141

Chapter 10 Adjust and Advance Your Own Leadership, People, Practices, and Culture by Day 100 157

Part II Special Circumstances 173

Chapter 11 Manage Your New Board 175

Chapter 12 Lead Through Mergers and Acquisitions 187

Chapter 13 Lead a Turnaround 199

Chapter 14 Lead Through a Crisis: A 100- Hour Action Plan 211

Bibliography 223

About the Authors 225

Index 227

Praise for The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan

“The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan offers practical tools and techniques for new leaders to follow. Leaders who use this book can expect impressive business and culture-building results.”

—Joe Bonito, SVP, Bank of America (after Coach & Pfizer)

“I have worked with PrimeGenesis twice in the last 24 months, first as a private equity investor and most recently as a first time leader of a company. In both cases, their process and facilitation created nearly immediate alignment around our strategy and tactics that dramatically accelerated value creation. We accomplished nearly a year of positive change within a month.”

—Ryan Heckman, Private Equity Investor

“In a hyper-competitive environment, it’s imperative that senior leaders — particularly CEOs — have as many tools as possible at their disposal. The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan provides a critical advantage to executives in identifying objectives, stakeholders, and messaging points as they transition into new leadership roles. The PrimeGenesis methodology is a key component of a successful onboarding toolkit.”

— Harry Somerdyk, Director, Talent Management and Executive Recruitment, RFE Investment Partners (Private Equity)

“This program helps assure success through accelerated learning, and helps leaders avoid common pitfalls and barriers that often derail new leaders. First impressions are lasting. PrimeGenesis will ensure that your new leaders are received positively on day one and hit the ground running.”

—Gretchen Crist, former SVP, Human Resources, Sun Products (after Playtex)

“I can recommend PrimeGenesis and this book without reservation to help any senior leader moving into a complex new role, including promotions and new hires, when they cannot afford to fail.”

—Robert Rigby-Hall, former SVP, Human Resources, NXP (after LexisNexis)

40% of leaders fail within 18 months of entering a new role, for reasons ranging from poor fit, inability to deliver, or failure to adjust. PrimeGenesis was founded by George B. Bradt and Jayme A. Check in 2003 to address this problem. For over two decades, PrimeGenesis has reduced the rate of failure to less than 10% for clients while helping leaders and their teams deliver better results faster through critical transitions.

In the extensively revised Fifth Edition of The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan, readers will find critical guidance on how to rapidly assimilate into a new role and organization, build high-performance teams, implement winning strategies, and realize strategic, operational, organizational and leadership goals. If you find yourself in a new leadership role, this book will assist you in gaining confidence and ensuring you take the right actions to make a positive impact in your role and deliver better results faster.

The latest edition contains new insights, real world examples, and practical advice on how to build culture and lead in traditional, remote, or hybrid environments. You’ll also gain critical insights on how to leverage diversity, equity, and inclusion to meet team goals, drive growth, and enhance any organization. Sample 100-day action plans are included, which can be adapted to fit your unique leadership circumstances.

Readers will also find:

• Crucial roadmaps, tools, and tips on leading organizational change
• New chapters on leading in special circumstances, including crisis situations, post-M&A integrations, turnarounds, and transformations
• Practical counsel on managing your Board

A critical resource for leaders in any industry, The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan is a must-have guide as you work through your first days, weeks, and months in any new leadership role, especially when the stakes are high, and time is of the essence.