Counterintuitive advice for a new executive is to first focus on listening, learning, and building relationships rather than rushing to make an impact. This avoids "change for change's sake" and ensures new initiatives are culturally aligned and well-informed.
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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.
The leap from a hands-on marketing leader to a C-level executive is less about tactical skills and more about personal growth. It demands a shift from execution ('doing the work') to leadership ('inspiring people'), which requires self-awareness, authenticity, and dropping 'professional walls' to build genuine connections.
Rushing to implement a new strategy in a CPO role can be catastrophic. A structured 90-day plan prioritizes understanding nuance first. Spend the first 30 days on customer and team interviews, the next 30 drafting and aligning on strategy, and only begin executing changes in the final 30 days.
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.
When starting a new partnerships role, resist the pressure to show immediate results. Spend the first 90 days on a listening tour with internal teams and external partners to identify systemic patterns and root causes, rather than applying superficial 'Band-Aid' solutions.
In your first 90 days, resist the urge to be the expert. Instead, conduct a "listening tour" by treating the organization as a product you're researching. Ask questions to understand how work gets done, what success looks like, and what challenges exist at a systemic level.
A common mistake for new leaders is prioritizing and defending their functional team. The correct approach is to view the executive leadership team as their "first team." This requires prioritizing the overall business, understanding cross-functional needs, and acting as a business leader first.
When you're hired into a leadership role, it's because the company needs something fixed. Conduct a "listening tour" specifically to understand the underlying issues. This reveals your true mandate, which is often a need for more innovation and faster speed to market.
The CMO role has shifted from a top-down "ivory tower" approver to a servant leader. The primary goal is to create an environment of psychological safety where even the most junior person can say, "I think you got it wrong," which ultimately leads to bolder and better ideas.
Pendo's CPO argues that the first 90 days are a critical window for a new leader. You were hired to change things, so you must assess and act quickly on team or strategy adjustments. Delaying beyond this window leads to paralysis, as "no decision is also a decision."
