To accelerate your career, focus on developing 'agency'. This means moving beyond assigned tasks to proactively solve unspoken, systemic problems. Instead of chasing high-visibility projects, look for the unaddressed issues that keep leaders up at night. Solving these demonstrates true ownership and strategic value.

The foundation of a new M&A function is deep internal alignment. Before looking outward, the first month should be dedicated to interviewing internal product leaders and SMEs to understand the business, product roadmap, and strategic direction from the inside out.

When entering a new domain, don't feign expertise. Build trust faster by openly admitting "I don't know" and explicitly leaning on stakeholders for their subject matter knowledge. This positions you as a partner who values their expertise, rather than an outsider imposing solutions.

A new CEO’s first few months are best spent gathering unfiltered information directly from employees and customers across the business. Avoid the trap of sitting in an office listening to prepared presentations. Instead, actively listen in the field, then act decisively based on those firsthand insights.

When starting a senior role at a complex company, a new leader should formally contract a 'learning agenda' as part of their onboarding. Prioritize a listening tour focused on frontline operations and culture, rather than headquarters, to understand the business before implementing changes.

Firms invest heavily in sourcing candidates but fail at onboarding. The crucial first 90 days, when an executive is most vulnerable, are often neglected, treating the hire as a 'done deal' instead of the beginning of a critical integration phase.

Partners will inevitably find every flaw in your product, go-to-market strategy, and internal processes. Instead of viewing this as a nuisance, intentionally bring them in early to stress-test your systems and gather invaluable feedback before scaling your channel.

To introduce a new idea, a leader shouldn't dictate terms. Instead, they should pose it as a discussion topic and listen to the language the team uses (e.g., "cost of living" vs. "inflation"). Adopting their terminology builds shared understanding and makes people feel heard, which enables collective action.

First-time leaders often feel pressure to have all the answers. Instead, they should embrace a "beginner's mind," openly admitting what they don't know. This creates a safe environment for the team to share mistakes and learn collaboratively, which is crucial for building a playbook from scratch.