The first 90 days are the “golden period” for new leaders. This is when the team observes how the leader communicates, makes decisions, and works with others. Trust, teamwork habits, and working relationships are all shaped within this period.
This idea aligns with Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model, which emphasizes that leading a team in the beginning requires building shared understanding, communicating clear goals, and guiding the team in the same direction to create lasting and stable change.
Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model
- Create Urgency Help the team see the need for change and understand why action is required now.ฃ
- Build a Guiding Team Form a group of key people who will lead and support the change.
- Form a Strategic Vision Create a clear vision and direction for where the team or organization wants to go.
- Communicate the Vision Communicate the vision repeatedly so everyone understands it and moves in the same direction.
- Remove Barriers Eliminate obstacles or anything that blocks the team’s progress.
- Generate Short-Term Wins Create small, early successes to boost energy, confidence, and motivation in the team.
- Build on the Change Continue improving and strengthening what works—don’t stop at the first success.
- Anchor the Change in Culture Make the new behaviors and changes part of the organization’s long-term culture.
First 30 Days: Open Your Mind to Learn About the Team and Its Culture
During the first month, leaders should focus more on listening rather than making changes. This is the time to build trust and deeply understand the team.
New leaders should:
- Get to know each team member one-on-one
- Listen to their work history, challenges, and goals
- Observe working styles, team dynamics, and organizational culture
- Show the team that the leader is here “to understand, not to judge”
Leaders who begin with genuine curiosity gain real insights and build strong trust from the very start.
Next 60 Days: Create Structure and Systems to Align the Team
After understanding the team more clearly, the next step is to organize the structure and workflow so everyone moves in the same direction.
What leaders should do during the 60-day stage:
- Set clear individual and team goals
- Identify and prioritize key tasks
- Create simple and consistent meeting, reporting, and follow-up systems
- Help the team see how their work connects within the overall system
According to Kotter, building a shared vision is essential because it gives everyone a clear direction and helps them feel committed to reaching the goal.
Shared Vision means creating a future picture together—not just the leader’s vision, but a goal the whole team feels ownership of and wants to work toward.
At 90 Days: Strengthen Trust and Team Collaboration
Once the structure is in place, it’s time to build stronger collaboration and teamwork energy.
Leaders should:
- Encourage more cross-team conversations
- Reinforce positive teamwork behaviors
- Create small activities to help the team share ideas, challenges, or successes
- Promote cooperation rather than isolated working
This stage is about helping the team feel: “We’re moving forward together.”
After 90 Days: Review, Improve, and Keep Elevating the Team
Reaching 90 days doesn’t mean the work is done. It’s time to shift into continuous improvement.
Leaders can do this by:
- Reviewing what the team did well and what needs adjustment
- Setting new, realistic but challenging goals
- Updating systems to match changing needs
- Encouraging ongoing skill development
- Building a feedback loop into the team’s culture
This connects to Kotter’s step “Build on the Change,” which highlights that change becomes sustainable only when leaders continue to strengthen and develop the team instead of stopping after the first success.
Build on the Change involves:
- Improving what already works
- Fixing remaining weaknesses
- Setting bigger goals to push the team forward
- Strengthening work processes and communication
- Celebrating small wins consistently to show progress
In summary, the first 30–60–90 days are a golden opportunity for new leaders to build a strong foundation for their team. Starting by learning about the team, establishing clear systems, fostering collaboration, and continuously improving according to Kotter’s model helps leaders create a reliable, united, and growth-ready team. With a step-by-step plan, new leaders can build teamwork that is stable, trustworthy, and ready to thrive in any situation.
