Book Review: The First 90 Days: A Mindful Leader’s Approach to a New Role
Starting a new leadership role is equal parts exciting and overwhelming. In The First 90 Days, Michael D. Watkins lays out a framework to help leaders transition successfully. But for people, leaders and executives who want to lead with presence, clarity, and impact, this period is also about managing energy, cultivating trust, and creating alignment.
According to Watkins’ book, here’s a mindful and actionable approach to your first 30, 60, and 90 days in a new role.
Days 1–30: Listen, Learn, and Ground Yourself
Your focus: Observation, relationship building, and self-awareness.
This phase is less about doing and more about being present. Resist the urge to fix or impress. Instead, make space for clarity.
Mindful leadership moves:
Schedule intentional one-on-ones with your direct reports, peers, and key stakeholders. Ask open-ended questions like “What’s working well? What’s not?” and “If you were in my shoes, what would you focus on?”
Clarify your role and success metrics early. Don’t assume expectations are clear, ask your manager, “What would make this transition a success in your eyes?”
Assess the energy of the team. Where is morale high? Where’s the friction or fatigue? Leadership isn’t just about performance, it’s about patterns.
Protect reflective time in your calendar. Block space weekly to capture insights, map out team dynamics, and reconnect with your purpose.
Start building trust through small actions. Deliver on promises, follow up thoughtfully, and stay curious.
Your goal by Day 30: You’ve listened deeply, built early rapport, and identified a few core areas of opportunity, without rushing to solve everything.
Days 31–60: Align, Assess, and Activate
Your focus: Strategy, early wins, and trust-building.
Now that you’ve absorbed the context, it’s time to shift from sensing to shaping.
Mindful leadership moves:
Co-create a shared vision with your team. Reflect back what you’ve learned and invite your team to weigh in on what success looks like moving forward.
Pursue one or two “early wins.” Choose meaningful but manageable improvements that show momentum (and that you’re listening). This could be clearing a bottleneck, improving a broken process, or celebrating a team win.
Audit your team’s structure and strengths. Who’s thriving? Who might be misaligned? Begin assessing whether your current team setup supports your goals.
Check in with your energy levels. Are you overfunctioning? Stretching too thin? Mindful leadership means you’re modeling sustainability—not just performance.
Communicate consistently. Keep your stakeholders updated and looped in. A simple weekly update or Friday recap builds alignment and calm.
Your goal by Day 60: You’ve started to shape strategy, secured trust through action, and built clarity within your team and stakeholder network.
Days 61–90: Build, Influence, and Elevate
Your focus: Deepening relationships, elevating culture, and leading with influence.
This is the shift from “new leader” to “trusted leader.”
Mindful leadership moves:
Finalize your 12-month vision. Share it with your team and stakeholders. This isn’t just about goals, it’s about creating meaning and direction.
Reinforce your leadership values through cultural cues. How you show up now, what you reward, what you tolerate, and how you handle pressure will set the tone for the long haul.
Make the harder decisions. If team changes or strategic pivots are needed, now’s the time. Delaying tough calls undermines trust and energy.
Create space for feedback loops. Ask your team, “What’s one thing I could do differently that would help you thrive?” Normalize reflection and improvement.
Start building a broader influence. Who outside your immediate team needs to see your work? Who can amplify your impact? Cultivate those relationships now.
Your goal by Day 90: You’re leading with confidence, clarity, and alignment. Your team knows where you’re going and believes in how you’re getting there.
Final Thought:
You don’t need to do everything in 90 days. But if you stay grounded, focused, and intentional, you’ll earn something more powerful than just credibility, you’ll earn trust. And from trust, real influence flows.
If you’re navigating a new leadership role or preparing to, you might benefit from talking with a coach who can support you through it. Whether you need a thought partner to map out your 30-60-90 plan, help you manage your energy, or build the confidence to lead with clarity, I bring a mindful, strategic lens to every transition. Let’s make the next chapter your strongest yet. Book free, no commitment, coaching exploration call.
