Michael Watkins on how new leaders can achieve a strategic jumpstart

Abstract

Purpose

This interview with Michael Watkins is on the occasion of the tenth anniversary edition of his best-selling book The First 90 Days (Harvard Business Press, 2013). The book has helped a generation of executives identify and strategically analyze the opportunities and risks posed by a career move.

Design/methodology/approach

The book offers a set of tools and techniques executives can use to accelerate learning and then methodically diagnose the situation to develop the right strategy.

Findings

Watkin's approach is designed to speed up the rate at which executive are able to accurately diagnose situations, make good decisions and add value to their firms.

Practical implications

Executives considering taking on a new job should learn to think like a historian. It's critical to understand how the organization got to the state that it is in. If serious problems were not addressed early enough to avoid a crisis, why did that happen? What does this say about the culture and politics of the company? About the competence and courage of the leadership?

Originality/value

Watkins' approach can help all managers more clearly identify the specific challenges of the type of transition they are experiencing – for example promotion vs. joining a new company vs moving between functions – and adjust their tactics accordingly.

Citation

M. Randall, R. (2013), "Michael Watkins on how new leaders can achieve a strategic jumpstart", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 41 No. 5, pp. 34-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-06-2013-0045