The first 100 days in a senior leadership role are widely viewed as a make-or-break period that can define the trajectory of your tenure. It’s the time to set the tone, establish credibility, and build momentum for the changes you envision. What happens in this early phase “sets the stage for the next three to five years” of performance.
You only get one chance to make a strong first impression, so it’s crucial to approach this transition with a clear plan. The following guide lays out a structured approach for your 100-day plan – distilled from the insights of McKinsey, BCG, and Bain – to help executives and middle managers make the most of their first 100 days.
What is a 100-Day Plan?
In short, it is a structured approach for new senior leaders to effectively manage the crucial first 100 days by balancing learning, relationship-building, strategic clarity, and focused execution. A key output from the 100-day plan is a clear “strategic narrative” that links your strategic ambition with plans for transformation, stakeholder management, communications, and talent.
A framework for the first 100 days
'The first 100 days in a senior role are intense, challenging, and exciting. It’s a period of high stakes – decisions and impressions formed now can shape your company’s future and your credibility as a leader. The five-phase framework below – Prepare, Learn, Strategize, Execute, and Transition – is designed to help you navigate this time strategically.
Step-by-step guide for the 100-days
How do you turn the above framework into a comprehensive 100-day plan?
Let's go through the five phases step-by-step:
Before Day 1: lay the groundwork
Effective onboarding starts before the official Day 1. Preparation is key to hit the ground running:
- Clarify expectations and mandate: Have frank conversations with your manager or board before Day 1 to understand exactly what success looks like. Calibrate on goals, scope of authority, and any urgent issues that need immediate attention. This ensures you and your stakeholders are aligned from the outset on priorities and the "mandate" you've been given.
- Conduct preliminary research: Arm yourself with knowledge about the organization and its context. Review company financials, strategy documents, recent project post-mortems, and industry reports. "Learn as much as you can" about the business environment, culture, and performance before you step in. If possible, talk to a few customers, partners, or industry experts to gather outside perspectives.
- Plan the first weeks: Don't wait until day one to figure out your schedule. Map out your initial 2–3 weeks in advance. Set up key meetings: one-on-ones with your direct reports and critical stakeholders, listening sessions with employees, skip-level discussions, and if relevant, field visits (to plants, stores, etc.). Be careful not to balance who you meet; as BCG notes, new leaders' calendars often fill with "employee listening tours, factory visits, meetings with key customers and suppliers, and so on". Those are necessary to meet and greet, but also plan time for internal strategy reviews and personal preparation so you're not only doing a public roadshow.
- Set initial communication tone: Think about how you will introduce yourself and your leadership approach to the organization. Many leaders draft an introductory email or presentation to share on Day 1, outlining their enthusiasm, values, and commitment to learning. Clarify the key message you want to convey early – for example, signaling openness and stability, or urgency and change. This is part of "setting the mission & expectations" up front. Even if your detailed vision isn't formed yet, you can emphasize core principles (integrity, collaboration, customer focus, etc.) to set a positive tone.
- Organize support and logistics: Ensure the practical stuff won't slow you down. For instance, line up any personal logistics (relocation, family needs) and get your office, IT, and team support in place. If you have an executive assistant or chief of staff, loop them in early. Top executives often rely on support staff to help "protect their time and manage their energy" from day one. Freeing yourself from administrative distractions in the early days lets you focus on strategic matters.
Phase 1 (Days 1–30): Listen, learn, and build relationships
Your first month on the job should be devoted to learning and relationship-building. Think of this as the diagnostic and trust-building phase. Showing up with genuine curiosity and humility helps you earn credibility with the team.
Key objectives in Days 1–30 include:
- Absorb the big picture – and the details: Conduct an unbiased, fact-based analysis of the organization's current state. Dive into performance metrics, financial reports, customer feedback, and operational data to ground yourself in facts. Simultaneously, zoom out to understand the company's culture and unspoken rules. How do things really get done here? What are the "sacred cows" or the historical landmines? This dual learning – analytical and cultural – will inform all your subsequent actions.
- Listen to stakeholders: Prioritize listening over speaking. Spend much of this phase asking questions and actively listening to your team, peers, customers, and partners. Hold those introductory one-on-ones and team meetings you scheduled, and make them count. Encourage people to candidly share their views on what's working, what's not, and ideas for improvement. Showing people that you value their perspective will start building trust. Be wary of leaning too heavily into your comfort zone – for example, a CEO who rose through sales often defaults to spending the whole month with the sales force while neglecting operations or finance. Strive for a balanced view across functions and stakeholders so you don't emerge from month one with blind spots.
- Build relationships and trust: Personal connections are vital. Introduce yourself not just in formal meetings but also through informal interactions – coffee chats, lunches, walking the halls (or virtual meet-and-greets if you're remote). Get to know your direct reports as individuals and start to gauge the team's strengths and dynamics.
- Manage the urgent vs. important: A common trap in month one is to get too reactive – drowning in meeting after meeting and putting out daily fires, without making progress on learning or strategy. Avoid this by structuring your time and protecting some blocks for "slow thinking". Yes, there will be pressing issues that need your immediate attention (the urgent), but carve out time for reflection and big-picture thinking (the important). This might mean ending your day with 30 minutes of note-taking about insights gained, or weekly check-ins with a mentor or coach as a sounding board.
- Avoid Early Pitfalls: Be conscious of a few classic new-leader mistakes. One is coming in "too hot" – asserting big changes or critiques before you fully understand the context. The other is the opposite: being so hands-off or cautious that you appear invisible. Strive for a middle ground. As McKinsey advises, balance listening with sharing your early point of view; don't be afraid to contribute ideas, but frame them as explorations rather than edicts.
By the end of the first 30 days, you should have a solid initial understanding of the business and a rapport forming with your team. You'll also likely have a list of hypotheses or emerging themes about what the company's key challenges and opportunities are. Capture those insights – they will be the raw material for crafting your strategy in the next phase. Importantly, ensure you've established credibility as a leader who listens, learns, and respects the organization's people. If you've done that, you've accomplished the most critical mission of the first month.
Phase 2 (Days 31–60): Define strategy and secure early wins
With a month of intensive learning behind you, Phase 2 shifts towards shaping your strategic agenda and acting on your findings. By around the 60-day mark, stakeholders will start looking for signs of where you're taking the organization. It's time to turn your knowledge into an actionable plan.
Key priorities in Days 31–60:
- Craft (and communicate) your strategic narrative: Start articulating a clear vision and set of priorities for the business based on what you've learned. In BCG's terms, create a "strategic narrative" that links your strategic ambition with plans for transformation, stakeholder management, communications, and talent. This doesn't mean you must unveil a full five-year strategy by week 8 – but you should be able to outline the company's "next mountain to climb" and your general path to get there. Start testing your emerging strategic narrative in one-on-one discussions: "Here's what I'm thinking based on what I've learned – what's your reaction?" Such conversations not only refine your strategy; they also build buy-in.
- Establish structure and processes: By mid-way through the 100 days, put in place the management systems and routines that will govern how work gets done under your leadership. For example, set up a regular cadence of meetings and reviews: perhaps a weekly leadership team huddle, a monthly all-hands update, and a quarterly business review cycle. Design your governance processes so that key decisions and discussions have a home in your calendar. This might also mean clarifying roles and responsibilities on the team (who owns what key initiatives, how you'll track progress). BCG recommends that within the first 100 days, leaders install an "accountability system" that aligns with their strategic priorities – including how they spend their own time. For instance, if customer experience is a top priority, maybe you decide that every Monday, you'll review customer feedback metrics with the team. These rhythms and structures signal to the organization what's important and help "set the tone and business rhythm" for your tenure.
- Engage and align stakeholders: As your plans take shape, continue actively managing stakeholders to keep them on your side. Update your board or boss on your preliminary vision and early wins – you want them to feel confident about the direction you're heading. Increase communication with employees too: consider holding a town hall or sending a 60-day "here's what I've learned and what's next" note to address the broader team. Employees will be eager to know what changes might be coming. Be honest about what issues you're tackling and paint a motivating picture of the future (even if not every detail is ready, you can share the strategic intent). Also, ensure you're engaging beyond the walls of the company: major customers, partners, and even investors (if applicable) should hear from you early about your commitment to listen and to build on the company's strengths.
- Signal willingness to change: By the end of 60 days, you want the organization to have felt a new energy or direction under your leadership. In other words, avoid a scenario where it's "business as usual" after two months of you in charge. Even if you took over a well-run company that doesn't need a dramatic overhaul, find ways to show that with you at the helm, new possibilities are on the table. This could be as simple as launching a small experimental project or challenging a long-held assumption publicly. Show that you honor the company's past but aren't afraid to chart a new course. As BCG notes, the first 100 days is uniquely a "time for boldness and clarity" when you have the latitude to question "the way we do things around here". Take advantage of that window to set a vision that excites people.
By Day 60, you should have a concrete grasp of what you want to achieve (your strategic priorities) and have started demonstrating how you will lead (through decisions, quick wins, and new routines). In other words, the strategy formulation should be mostly complete, and execution should be underway on several fronts. You're moving from planning to doing. It's a good time to pause and ensure you're allocating your efforts wisely. Many CEOs use a rule of thumb like the "60/40 rule" – spending 60% of time on essential operations and short-term obligations, and 40% on high-priority strategic initiatives. Check your calendar and adjust if needed: Are you spending enough time on the future versus putting out fires? Realigning your time now will help as you dive into full execution mode in the next phase.
Phase 3 (Days 61–90): Execute, Iterate, and Build Momentum
In the third month, the emphasis shifts to delivering results and solidifying the changes you've kicked off. By around Day 90, you are no longer "brand new" – you're expected to be fully in command of the role. This is the time to prove, through action, that your leadership is yielding progress.
Key focus areas in Days 61–90:
- Drive execution of key initiatives: Push the initiatives you identified into execution and start knocking down milestones. For example, if in Phase 2 you green-lit a project to improve supply chain efficiency or launched a new marketing campaign, ensure those projects are now moving forward aggressively. Hold your team accountable for delivering on the goals and timelines you set. It may help to institute brief weekly check-ins on all critical initiatives to monitor progress and troubleshoot issues. As one Bain study highlights, effective CEOs establish a cadence and "make all constituencies work for you" – meaning they coordinate their team, organization, and stakeholders to maintain momentum on the agenda. Use the structures you set up (meetings, KPIs, dashboards) to keep everyone focused on execution. If something isn't working or is lagging, intervene quickly to course-correct; it's much easier to adjust plans in month three than to explain delays at month six.
- Secure some early wins and celebrate them: By the end of 3 months, aim to have tangible achievements you can point to. It could be an operational metric that improved, a successful product launch, a major client retained, or costs saved – whatever "quick wins" you targeted, make sure at least a couple are in the bag by Day 90. Equally important, communicate these wins and celebrate the team effort behind them. For instance, if customer satisfaction ticked up by 10% due to a new service initiative you implemented, share that news in an all-hands meeting and praise the employees who made it happen. This not only boosts morale but also reinforces the credibility of your leadership. Small victories now set the stage for tackling bigger challenges ahead because they build organizational confidence in the new strategy.
- Refine and announce the longer-term strategy: Around the 90-day mark, many leaders formalize their strategic roadmap for the next 1-2 years. You've been refining your narrative; now package it into a coherent strategic plan. This might take the form of a strategy document or presentation that outlines the vision, key initiatives, and targets. Depending on your situation, you might present this plan to the board for approval, and/or roll it out internally to all employees. (Some companies even schedule a 90-day strategy review as a standard practice for new execs.) Make sure your plan integrates all the facets covered above discussed: the financial roadmap (how the strategy ties to value creation), the organizational and talent changes needed, the stakeholder engagement plan, and the communication plan for rolling it out. Essentially, you're crystallizing everything you've learned and decided into a strategic blueprint. When communicating it, strike a balance between confidence and humility – confidence in the direction you're setting, and humility in acknowledging that you'll continue learning and adapting. If you've engaged people along the way, the plan shouldn't contain big surprises; it will reflect input from your team and feedback from stakeholders, making buy-in easier.
- Continue to engage and align the team: By now, your leadership team should be firmed up (with any changes mostly behind you) and fully on board with the mission. Continue investing time in them. Perhaps hold an off-site workshop around the 90-day point to rally your direct team around the vision and clarify next steps. Ensure each leader knows their role in executing the strategy and that they are committed. This is about developing a high-performing team culture. Also, pay attention to morale across the broader organization. Month three can be tricky – the initial "new leader buzz" might fade, and people settle into daily work. Keep communication lines open and enthusiasm high. For example, share positive anecdotes you've observed (e.g. "I was really encouraged to see our sales and engineering departments brainstorming together on the new product idea – that cross-team collaboration is exactly what we need!"). Personal encouragement and reinforcement of desired behaviors go a long way in building momentum. If there are remaining skeptics or resistant pockets in the org, this is a good time to address them directly or win them over with results.
- Manage energy and pace: As you push hard in execution, be mindful of sustaining your and your team's energy. Running at full throttle for 90 days is taxing – and you need everyone's stamina for the long haul. Smart leaders demonstrate "drive and sustainability" simultaneously. So use this phase to transition from sprint to marathon. This means you continue to model a strong work ethic and urgency, but you also show that you value work-life balance and sanity.
By Day 90, if all has gone well, you'll have a few concrete accomplishments under your belt, a clear strategic roadmap, and a team that's aligned and energized. You've essentially launched your leadership in these first three months. It's a good moment to step back and take stock. Consider doing a personal 90-day review: What's working? What have you learned about your leadership style in this context? Are there any course corrections needed? Solicit feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors on how you're doing. This reflection will prepare you to transition from the "100-day plan" mindset into the ongoing leadership role.
Phase 4 (Days 91–100): Evaluate and Plan the Path Forward
The final stretch of the first 100 days is about consolidating your gains and setting the stage for the future. In reality, there may not be a dramatic difference between day 90 and day 100, but symbolically this is when you shift out of "onboarding mode".
Use the last week or so to wrap up the 100-day plan and position the organization for what comes next:
- Review and reflect: Take time to evaluate the progress made against the objectives you set for your first 100 days. Which goals were achieved? Where did you fall short or move slower than expected? Some leaders even write a short self-assessment or report to the board at 100 days, summarizing accomplishments and laying out next steps. Doing so forces you to reflect on the high-level picture and ensures transparency with stakeholders.
- Communicate the road ahead: As you conclude this initial period, make sure the organization knows what to expect moving forward. If you haven't already done a comprehensive strategy rollout, now is the time. Many new CEOs choose the end of 100 days to hold a company-wide meeting or send a detailed communication about the vision and plan for the next few years, backed by the analysis and decisions of the past three months. For example, you might announce the 'official strategic plan', key initiatives (with owners and timelines), and any additional structural changes. Tie this messaging back to the input you gathered: e.g., "We heard in our first weeks that speed to market was a major pain point – so one of our core initiatives will be streamlining product development to cut launch times in half." Such follow-through shows that the listening you did is resulting in action. It connects the dots for people and reinforces a sense of forward momentum. Also, reassure folks that you're in it for the long term: while the first 100 days are over, the transformation has only begun, and you'll continue working with the same focus and passion beyond this point.
- Ensure Structures are Sustainable: Double-check that the management systems and team you put in place in Phase 2 are functioning smoothly. Tweak any new processes if needed. For example, if you set a weekly executive meeting and it's not proving effective, adjust the format or frequency rather than letting it become a drag. The goal is to enter the post-100-day period with a well-oiled leadership routine. Also confirm that any interim arrangements are resolved (e.g., temporary dual roles or acting positions should be finalized into permanent hires or assignments soon). By day 100, your senior team's roles and the org structure should be settled, so everyone knows where they fit in the go-forward plan. This creates stability and clarity after a period of change.
- Pace yourself for the future: Finally, acknowledge that this is just the beginning. The first 100 days have been a sprint, but leadership is a marathon. Take a moment to recharge personally and encourage your team to do the same. You might even deliberately lighten your schedule on day 100 to reflect and mentally shift gears. As McKinsey experts note, stakeholders typically give new leaders several months to formulate strategy and over a year to show major results – so while you've accomplished a lot fast, you now move into the next phase where consistency and endurance matter. Plan how you will keep yourself and the organization inspired and accountable in the months ahead. Perhaps set some quarterly milestones for the next year, building on the foundation you've laid.
100-day plan template
Basing your 100-day plan on a proven framework and templates can accelerate the planning and communication, help maintain the proper structure, and offer ideas for designing and organizing various slide types.
Our PowerPoint Business Strategy Template features 217 template PowerPoint slides designed by former McKinsey, Bain, and BCG consultants. The template offers a range of slides helpful when crafting your 100-Day Plan and 'strategic narrative'. The template also includes the frameworks and examples referenced in this guide.
Final thoughts
In summary, the first 100 days are important because they are an opportunity – perhaps your best – to inject clarity, energy, and direction into a team and company that is looking to you for leadership. By approaching this period with a structured plan and a learner's mindset, you can quickly build credibility and gather the insights needed to make big things happen.
No matter what senior role you're stepping into, your situation will have unique challenges. But the underlying principles remain consistent: prepare thoroughly, listen intently, think holistically, act decisively, and bring people along. Do this, and you'll not only survive your first 100 days – you'll set the stage for an exceptional tenure as a leader. Good luck on your journey.
Example: Fiskars Group Strategic Narrative
Here’s a new example based on the Fiskars Group 2024 investor filings, using the BCG “Strategic Narrative" framework:
Fiskars Group Strategic Narrative
Purpose: Enriching everyday life through timeless design, sustainability, and innovation.
Vision: Become the global leader in sustainable luxury living and outdoor experiences by 2027.
Guiding Principles
- Timeless Quality: We craft enduring products that stand the test of time, reflecting our heritage and craftsmanship.
- Responsible Innovation: We pursue sustainability, not just in products but throughout our entire value chain.
- Customer Obsession: Every decision begins and ends with a deep understanding and anticipation of our customers’ evolving desires and lifestyles.
Strategic Pillars
- 1. Accelerate Premiumization and Brand Strength
- Leverage premium brands such as Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen to grow in luxury segments globally.
- Increase focus on direct-to-consumer channels to deepen customer relationships.
- 2. Expand Sustainable Offerings
- Develop products and processes that lead the industry in circular economy practices, reducing environmental impact.
- Achieve measurable sustainability milestones recognized by consumers and stakeholders.
- 3. Market Growth and Geographic Diversification
- • Capture growth opportunities particularly in China and the U.S., leveraging recent acquisitions and market expansions.
- Optimize distribution strategy by balancing wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels to drive profitable growth.
- 4. Operational Excellence
- Improve efficiency through consolidation of manufacturing (e.g., optimization of Iittala and Rogaska factories).
- Streamline inventory and supply chain processes to reduce costs and increase flexibility.
Proficiencies
- Digital and Omnichannel Mastery: Skills and systems to seamlessly manage online and offline customer experiences, particularly for luxury brands.
- Sustainability Expertise: Expertise in circular product design, responsible sourcing, and carbon footprint reduction.
- Customer Insights and Analytics: Enhanced capability to deeply understand and quickly respond to changing consumer preferences and market dynamics.
Practices
- Foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration to break down silos between brands, regions, and teams.
- Regularly recognize and celebrate achievements in sustainability and customer-centric innovations.
- Maintain transparency and clear, consistent communication internally and externally about progress toward strategic goals.
Performance
- Achieve sustained annual revenue growth (5-10%) driven by premium product segments.
- Increase Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenue share to above 60% across luxury brands.
- Reduce overall carbon emissions by 25% across operations by 2027.
- Improve customer engagement metrics (NPS, loyalty scores) by at least 15% within two years.
This strategic narrative clearly communicates Fiskars Group’s direction, priorities, and expected outcomes, aligning closely with stakeholder expectations and the company’s long-term growth ambitions.
