Why New Leaders Struggle and How to Ensure Successful Leader Integration

The Challenges:

• Sink or swim appointments: Organizations spend considerable time and resources recruiting a new leader, but do not take steps to maximize the return on that investment post appointment. The numbers are sobering: one to two of every three executives will experience failure, proving that past success is no guarantee of future performance. 
• Informal and unstructured support systems: Integration tends to be haphazard. The leader is left to figure out how to quickly and successfully acclimate on a cultural, emotional and intellectual level, while meeting performance goals. Navigating organizational politics and dealing with ambiguity are among the most difficult adjustments leaders have to make. Most report turning to external sources for support (family, friends, external coaches and mentors) according to DDI.
• Lack of organizational ownership of the integration process:  Integration should be a core competency of HR and each leader should have a designated advocate, an external coach and someone to serve as an internal mentor. All should be held accountable for the new leader's success. 

The Solutions:

• Spend time on “stakeholder mapping”. It's not always clear who the stakeholders are, so we encourage new leaders to formally identify and then verify (with their boss and others) who they are, the importance and specific nature of interactions with one (e.g., do they consult them, inform them, collaborate with them, etc.)
• Meet with stakeholders and ask lots of questions. Looking back, many leaders wish they had asked more questions. Examples of good questions include: 
  • Is this a start-up, turnaround, realignment, or sustaining success situation?  
  • What business challenges do you they see you facing right now? (Prioritize  issues/concerns/problems/opportunities)   
  • What do you need to do to meet them?  
  • What competencies are critical for your success?  
  • What “ghosts” are there that you should look out for?  
  • What is their general sense of how you are doing so far?  
  • What should you KEEP, START and STOP doing based on what you’ve seen so far?  
  • How are you doing in the areas of role clarity, building relationships, learning and navigating the culture, accelerated learning?  
  • Have there been any early wins so far?  What could be some opportunities for early wins?  
  • To what extent have you established credibility?  
  • How much flexibility are you showing so far?  
  • What can you do that will make a significant, positive impact on your relationship with him/her?  
  • What could you do differently that would help you do your job better or better meet your objectives? 
• Build relationships with your team. Of course, your team members are stakeholders too and anxious about the transition to a new leader. Consider what’s on their minds, their challenges and how they can bring you up to speed individually and collectively. See questions for your team in the graphic.
• Solicit feedback from stakeholders regularly. Go out early and again after a few months to your identified stakeholders (do this personally or have a coach do it for you).