Stepping into the CEO role is both exhilarating and daunting. Expectations are high. Your board, executive team, employees, customers, and perhaps even the media are watching. The pressure to act decisively is real. But, before making big moves, there’s one essential conversation that will shape your entire tenure.
In our ‘CEO Survival Guide’, we’ve outlined 12 tips that will help you own your first 90 days with confidence and clarity. In this post, we’re considering the first tip in more detail, outlining a powerful but often neglected conversation that you can have that can inform many of the steps you take – and some you decide not to!
The trap of immediate action
“You know nothing when you arrive. Don't go in there thinking you know all the answers and start changing things, because you don't understand them.” - CEO
Many new CEOs assume that fast, visible change signals strong leadership. They focus on what needs to be ‘fixed’. Strategy, restructuring, and efficiency are often top of the list. The temptation is to take action without fully understanding the culture of their organisation, and the forces that are shaping it.
But the most effective leaders don’t impose change before they’ve uncovered what’s already working. This requires not just listening, but asking the right questions.
“I should have taken fewer things at face value and ask questions and be prepared to be the “Daft Laddie”*, which is bloody challenging when you're in a new job, particularly for going into a new organisation where they're all looking and saying, “Well, why the hell didn't one of us get that job?” - Reflection from a Scottish CEO.
*”Daft Laddie” = A person feigning stupidity with the aim of making sure all aspects of a subject have been considered.
One question that changes everything
Your first 90 days will likely include a listening tour, meeting with senior leaders, board members, employees, and key stakeholders. These conversations aren’t just about gathering information; they’re an opportunity to set the tone for your leadership. One question can transform these discussions:
“What’s the most important thing we should not change?”
At first, it may seem counterintuitive. CEOs are expected to drive change. But before deciding what to disrupt, you need to understand what holds the company together. This question goes to the heart of what matters to people about the organisation. You will hear rich stories about what people value, what customers trust, and about the behaviours, symbols and systems that quietly fuel success.
This question does four powerful things:
1 Reveals hidden strengths: You’ll uncover what’s truly driving performance and engagement, and not just the ‘what’. You will learn ‘how’ it happens. This will tell you what you need to encourage and discourage as you go forward.
2 Signals curiosity, humility and respect: Your people will see that you don’t believe you have all the answers. Far from making you look weak, as some leaders believe, showing this level of humility builds trust and allows people to connect with you. It is a powerful symbol that you intend to lead with curiosity and wisdom.
3 Creates psychological safety: When people see that you ask questions and genuinely listen to the answers before taking action, they become more open about challenges and opportunities. You’re less likely to encounter unpleasant surprises that people were reluctant to share before it was too late.
4 Uncovers systemic interdependencies: You’ll avoid the unintended consequences that come from changing things without seeing the full picture. The art of seeing how the various parts of your organisation hang together, and how it exists in relationship with other entities, is a powerful capability. It’s one we encourage all leaders to develop.
Using the answers to lead smarter
The insights you gain will help you make better decisions, build credibility, and prevent unnecessary disruption. You might discover that an old-school process that some would think to remove is actually the backbone of collaboration. That a long-standing tradition of coffee with the exec or pairing new starters with a ‘culture buddy’ is key to engagement. That customers stay loyal because of a specific, nuanced approach to service that is a key feature of your approach.
By asking what should not change, you gain clarity on what must be protected, even as you drive transformation. Regardless of the starting point, there will be strengths in your culture that you will be much better off for understanding.
In your first months as CEO, your credibility won’t come from having all the answers. It will come from knowing which questions to ask.
The best CEOs don’t just change companies. They strengthen what makes them great.
For more tips that will help you own your first 90 days with confidence and clarity, check out our CEO Survival Guide.