The first 100 days: Taking an active approach to your leadership role

The first 100 days in a leadership role are among the most formative. Leaders gain their first experiences in their new position, make decisions, build relationships, and clarify expectations. At the same time, habits and routines begin to develop, often shaping their leadership approach for years to come.

This is precisely why we see this phase as such a valuable opportunity: Rather than waiting until leadership challenges have become deeply rooted, we believe in supporting leaders at a stage when they can still consciously shape how they lead. It is an opportunity to actively explore and develop one’s own leadership identity.

Leadership Begins with Self-Reflection

When coaching leaders during their first 100 days, our focus is rarely on leadership tools or competencies at the outset. Instead, we start by exploring questions such as:

• What impact do I want to have as a leader?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
• How does my self-perception differ from how others perceive me?
• What expectations do I have of myself, and which of them are actually realistic?
• Which behaviors support me in my new role, and which might hold me back in the long run?

In our coaching practice, we repeatedly encounter similar behavioral patterns. Some new leaders strive to please everyone, avoiding necessary conflicts out of a desire to maintain harmony. Others make decisions quickly and confidently, only to realize later that their decisiveness is perceived as dominance by their team members. Still others try to handle every task themselves because their high standards and perfectionism make it difficult to truly delegate responsibility.

None of these patterns is inherently wrong. In fact, these very qualities are often part of the reason why someone was promoted into a leadership position in the first place. However, there is an important distinction: When a strength is overused, it can become a weakness.

The key question, therefore, is not: “How can I become the perfect leader?” but rather: “What impact does my behavior have on others, and does that impact align with the kind of leader I want to be?”

In coaching, we create a safe and confidential space for reflection, where these questions can be explored openly. Through personality assessments, stakeholder analyses, role-playing exercises, and systemic reflection, leaders gradually develop their own leadership identity. Not as a copy of a textbook leadership model or someone they admire, but as an authentic approach that reflects their personality and the environment in which they operate.

In our experience, this is where the greatest value of early leadership coaching lies: Behavioral patterns become visible before they turn into deeply ingrained habits. Leaders develop greater confidence because they learn to act with intention rather than simply react to situations.

Leadership Is Learned Through Practice

Reflection alone, however, is not enough. Effective leadership emerges when insights are translated into action. This is precisely why participants find our Leadership Practice Program particularly valuable. One statement we hear time and again after participants complete the program is: “Now I lead the way I always intended to.”

A key element of the program is the use of realistic simulations of challenging leadership situations. Whether it involves delegating responsibilities, giving feedback, navigating conflict, addressing underperformance, or dealing with resistance during organizational change, leaders have the opportunity to practice difficult conversations in a realistic yet safe environment. They can experiment with different approaches, receive constructive feedback, and reflect on their impact before facing similar situations in their everyday leadership responsibilities.

Because leadership does not develop through experience alone. It develops through reflection, a clear leadership mindset, practical leadership skills, and continuous learning.