October 15, 2019 – In a business environment constantly disrupted by everything from politics to climate change to technology, boards of directors are increasingly seeking leaders from outside their own executive ranks. Last year, 44 percent of S&P 500 companies that hired a new CEO hired an outsider to meet new challenges. That makes a smooth onboarding process just as important as recruiting. A new report by Heidrick & Struggles’ Sherry Duda and Kaveh Naficy provides five steps for new external CEOs to follow in order to make the onboarding process quick, painless and successful.
“For new CEOs who are seeking to accelerate their own integration and their companies’ performance, a key element of finding the right speed is to understand and proactively manage their own intellectual and emotional reactions throughout their first 100 days,” said Ms. Duda. “Typically, we find these reactions follow a predictable pattern that can present speed traps to momentum. Combining this personal knowledge with clarity on board expectations, and data on the top team and corporate culture, will help incoming CEOs understand when to slow down to gather insights and make fact-based decisions and when and where to execute at pace.”
