Leading from Day One: Building Trust, Influence, and Momentum in Your First 90 Days 

Starting strong in a new leadership role isn’t about changing everything, it’s about knowing what to change, when to listen, and how to earn the right to lead.

If you’ve recently stepped into a new leadership position, the first 90 days are crucial.

According to research by Michael Watkins (The First 90 Days), leaders who create clarity, build early alliances, and establish credibility in their first few months are significantly more likely to succeed long-term. But how do you do that without overreaching or underwhelming?

Here’s what the evidence, and our experience placing and supporting leaders in scale-up businesses, tells us matters most.

Be human before you try to be impressive

In their HBR article “Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?”, Goffee and Jones argue that great leaders are not defined by charisma or control, but by their ability to show authenticity, vulnerability, and selective disclosure. People don’t follow titles. They follow humans.

As a new leader:

• Be clear about your style and values
• Acknowledge what you’re learning and what you don’t yet know
• Ask, listen, and notice before you assume

Before you influence direction, you need to create safety through empathy, listening, and early credibility

Create clarity in the chaos

In high-growth environments, people are often running fast, but not always in the same direction. One of the important early wins could be helping the team understand:

• What success looks like this month/quarter/year
• What the priorities aren’t (often more powerful)
• How decisions will be made, and what input is expected from whom

This early clarity builds confidence. You don’t have to re-write the strategy, just help people feel part of a shared direction.

Secure quick wins, not loud ones

People want to feel momentum, especially under new leadership. But be careful: too much change too soon can alienate key stakeholders. Instead:

• Focus on small, visible improvements that reduce friction or build trust
• Celebrate the team’s recent achievements before proposing change
• Ask: “What’s one thing we could do better, fast?”

In Watkins’ model, this is the difference between a smart stabiliser and a naive disruptor.

Be curious about the culture

Every team has an operating rhythm whether it’s spoken or unspoken. Goffee and Jones refer to this as the “smell of the place.” Your early impact as a leader will be shaped not just by what you say, but by how well you adapt your approach to the team’s cultural baseline.

Ask:

• What’s rewarded here, and what’s quietly avoided?
• How do people communicate when there’s tension?
• What do people say in private that they don’t say in meetings?

Understanding culture helps you shape it, without breaking trust.

Prioritise building relationships, not just filling your diary.

As a new leader, you have a unique window of attention and opportunity. Use it deliberately:

• Build relationships with people above, across, and below you
• Find one or two trusted voices who’ll give you unfiltered insight
• Use early 1:1s to learn what success and failure have looked like here

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about asking the right questions early and often.

Final thought

You don’t have to fix everything in your first 90 days. But you do need to show up clearly, listen intelligently, and earn followership.