You got the job. The board voted unanimously, the announcement went out, and now you’re sitting in an office that still has someone else’s family photos on the desk. Everyone is watching—waiting to see what kind of leader you’ll be.
I’ve worked with dozens of executive directors in exactly this moment. The ones who thrive don’t wing it. They also don’t come in with a hundred-day transformation plan they copied from some business book. They do something harder: they move with purpose while staying genuinely curious about what they don’t yet know.
Here’s what I’ve learned about navigating those critical first 90 days—and the traps that catch even talented leaders.
Why the First 90 Days Matter More Than You Think
The relationship between a new leader and their board in the first few weeks is remarkably predictive. According to Bridgespan Group’s research on nonprofit ED onboarding, 46% of nonprofit CEOs reported getting little or no help from their boards when first taking on the position. Many described boards that essentially handed over the keys and stepped back, exhausted from the search process.
This means you’re likely navigating alone—but it also means you have more latitude than you might realize to shape how this transition unfolds.
The stakes are real. Research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation found that 70% of nonprofit leadership transitions are non-routine, occurring due to organizational crisis or the departure of a founder or visionary leader. Poorly managed transitions are often followed by extended periods of underperformance.
You don’t want to become a statistic. And you don’t have to be.
The Two Traps That Derail New EDs
Before we get to the roadmap, let’s name the patterns I see derail promising leaders:
The Savior Syndrome happens when a new ED comes in determined to fix everything immediately. They’ve been hired to lead change, so they start changing things—reorganizing departments, canceling programs, implementing new systems. Within weeks, staff are exhausted, the board is concerned, and the ED has made enemies before they’ve made allies. The organization didn’t need a savior. It needed a leader who understood what they were leading before they started leading it somewhere new.
The Paralysis Pattern is the opposite extreme. These EDs are so careful, so determined to listen and learn, that three months in, nothing has changed. Staff start wondering if they have an actual leader. Board members question whether they made the right hire. The ED’s caution, which felt like wisdom initially, starts looking like indecision.
The art of the first 90 days isn’t choosing between action and patience—it’s knowing that listening IS action, and that strategic patience isn’t the same as doing nothing.
Your job is to walk the line between these extremes. Here’s how.
Your Week-by-Week Roadmap
Weeks 1-2: The Listening Foundation
Your only job in the first two weeks is to listen—not to form opinions, not to solve problems, not to signal what kind of leader you’ll be. Just listen.
Schedule 30-minute one-on-ones with every staff member. If you have more than 20 people, prioritize direct reports and longest-tenured staff first, then work through the rest. Ask one question: “What should I know that I might not think to ask?”
Then stop talking. Let the silence work. People will fill it with what actually matters to them.
You’re also listening to the organization itself during this phase. Where do people gather? Who talks to whom? What’s on the bulletin boards? What do the financials actually say versus what the board told you during interviews?
Meet with your board chair at least twice during these two weeks. Not to report progress—you have no progress to report yet—but to build the relationship that will sustain you both through harder conversations later.
What you’re NOT doing: Making promises. Changing anything. Sharing opinions about what you’ve observed. You’re a sponge, not a faucet.
Weeks 3-4: Deep Learning
Now you start connecting dots. Pull together everything you’ve heard and observed into four assessment categories:
Organizational Health: How do decisions actually get made? Where does information flow freely, and where does it get stuck? What’s the real culture versus the stated values?
Financial Reality: Not just the numbers in the audit, but the story behind them. Which revenue streams are growing? Which programs actually cost what they’re supposed to? Where are the hidden subsidies and silent deficits?
Team Capability: Who are your A players? Who’s been underutilized? Who’s been protected despite underperformance? What skills are missing entirely?
External Reputation: How do funders actually perceive you? What do peer organizations say? What’s the community narrative about your organization?
During this phase, meet with your top five funders. Not to ask for money—please, not yet—but to understand their perspective on the organization. They’ll tell you things your board didn’t.
If you’re a first-time ED development is worth investing in during this phase. The learning curve is steep, and having structured support accelerates everything.
Weeks 5-8: Strategic Connecting
Now you start building the relationships that will let you actually lead. Your listening tour shifts from learning mode to connecting mode.
Meet with community partners and stakeholders who interact with your programs. Meet with the staff of funders, not just program officers. Meet with peer EDs who’ve been in the sector for years.
This is also when you start having follow-up conversations with staff. Not to announce changes—you’re still not there yet—but to share what you’ve learned and test your emerging understanding. “I’ve been hearing that the communication between programs and development feels disconnected. Is that your experience?” These conversations build trust and surface nuance you missed the first time.
Your credibility as a new ED doesn’t come from having answers. It comes from asking questions that prove you understand the real challenges.
During weeks 5-8, you should also be identifying your quick wins. These are improvements that are:
- Visible to staff
- Achievable within 30 days
- Low risk if they don’t work perfectly
- Responsive to something you heard in your listening tour
Quick wins aren’t about proving you’re smart. They’re about proving you listened. When staff see their feedback turned into action, they start believing that sharing honestly with you is worthwhile.
Weeks 9-12: Planning Your Leadership Agenda
By week nine, you should have a clear picture of the organization’s strengths, vulnerabilities, and opportunities. Now you translate that understanding into a leadership agenda.
This isn’t a strategic plan—that comes later, with much more input. This is your thesis about where to focus your energy in year one. It should answer:
- What are the 2-3 most critical issues facing the organization?
- What must change in the next 12 months for the organization to thrive?
- What should explicitly NOT change because it’s working?
- What decisions need board involvement, and which can you handle?
Present this leadership agenda to your board. Not for approval—this is your job to lead—but for alignment. You want your board chair nodding along, not learning your priorities for the first time when you start acting on them.
This is also the time to have an explicit conversation about how you and the board will work together. How often will you communicate with the chair? What decisions require board approval versus information? How will your performance be evaluated at the end of year one?
Most new EDs never have this conversation explicitly. They assume norms from their previous organization or guess based on how things seemed during the interview process. Then they’re surprised when expectations clash.
Navigating Founder Syndrome
If you’re following a founder or long-tenured ED, your first 90 days require additional care. The shadow of a predecessor isn’t necessarily a problem—it’s information.
When staff keep referencing “how Sarah used to do it,” they’re not necessarily resisting you. They’re telling you what mattered to them about Sarah’s leadership. Listen for the values underneath the nostalgia.
Some practical guidance for navigating founder syndrome:
Don’t compete with ghosts. You will never be the founder, and trying to be will exhaust you. Find the aspects of leadership that are authentically yours and lean into them.
Honor the legacy while creating space for evolution. The organization existed before you arrived and will exist after you leave. Your job is to steward it forward, not to tear down what came before.
Have a direct conversation with the previous leader if possible. What do they wish they’d known? What do they hope you’ll protect? What are they ready to see change? This conversation, handled well, can be remarkably clarifying.
The founder’s shadow isn’t your obstacle—it’s your map. It shows you exactly what people valued about leadership here.
If you’re stepping into a particularly complex transition, consider seeking transition coaching support. Having a thought partner who can help you navigate stakeholder dynamics, board relationships, and your own leadership development makes these first months significantly less isolating.
Controlling Your Arrival Narrative
People will form opinions about you whether or not you shape the conversation. So shape it.
Your communication strategy in the first 90 days should include:
A clear introduction message to all stakeholders—staff, board, key funders, community partners—that explains who you are, why you’re excited about this role, and how you plan to spend your first months. (Hint: “listening and learning” is always the right answer.)
Regular, brief updates to the board and staff about what you’re learning. Not decisions—observations. This signals engagement without committing to action before you’re ready.
Visibility at key organizational moments. Show up at the staff birthday celebration. Attend the volunteer appreciation event. Be present at the community meeting. You don’t need to speak at all of these—in fact, you shouldn’t—but your presence communicates investment.
Careful management of early decisions. Every decision you make in the first 90 days will be interpreted as a signal about your priorities and style. If you have to make a difficult call early, take time to explain your reasoning. People can accept decisions they disagree with if they understand the logic behind them.
The Quick Win That Changes Everything
Here’s your homework: This week, schedule 30-minute meetings with each staff member. Ask only this question: “What should I know that I might not think to ask?”
That’s it. No agenda, no presentation, no updates from you. Just that question and genuine curiosity about the answer.
This single practice accomplishes more than any strategic plan could in your first weeks. It builds relationships. It surfaces hidden issues. It signals that you value staff perspectives. And it gives you information you cannot get any other way.
The EDs who thrive in their first 90 days aren’t the ones with the best credentials or the most impressive track record. They’re the ones who stay curious longer than feels comfortable, who resist the pressure to prove themselves through action before they understand the terrain, and who build trust before trying to spend it.
For a comprehensive look at surviving and thriving beyond these first 90 days, explore our complete ED survival guide. And if you’re wondering whether having a coach during this transition would help you navigate faster and with more confidence, you’re asking the right question. Coaching for new executives during transition periods can dramatically accelerate your effectiveness—and reduce the isolation that so many new EDs experience.
Your first 90 days won’t be perfect. They can’t be—you’re learning a new organization, a new role, and often a new sector all at once. But they can be intentional. They can be strategic. And they can lay the foundation for years of effective leadership.
The organization chose you. Now show them why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most new EDs benefit from making very few changes in the first 60 days, focusing instead on understanding the organization. Quick wins—small, visible improvements that respond to staff feedback—can happen in weeks 5-8. Larger strategic changes should wait until you've completed your 90-day assessment and aligned with your board on priorities.
Your first board meeting should primarily be about listening and relationship building. Prepare a brief introduction of yourself and your approach to the transition, then focus on learning from board members. What do they see as the organization's greatest opportunities? What concerns them? What do they hope you'll prioritize? Save the strategic discussions for after you've completed your listening tour.
Acknowledge the situation directly. Meet with them early in your listening tour and say something like: "I know you were considered for this role, and I want you to know I respect the institutional knowledge and commitment that represents. I'd value your perspective as I learn the organization." Then follow through by genuinely seeking their input. Many internal candidates become strong allies once they feel respected.
Avoid termination decisions in your first 90 days unless there's a serious performance or ethical issue that can't wait. You don't yet understand the full context of anyone's role or relationships. If you must make a hiring decision to fill a critical vacancy, involve your team in the process to signal collaborative leadership.
Credibility in the first 90 days comes from asking good questions, following through on what you say you'll do, and being visible and approachable. It does NOT come from demonstrating how smart you are or how much experience you have. Staff want to know you're competent, but more importantly, they want to know you'll listen and that you genuinely care about the mission.
Honor the founder's legacy while creating space for evolution. Have direct conversations about what people valued in the founder's leadership—this tells you what matters to them. Don't try to replicate the founder's style; instead, find your own authentic approach. The organization needs what you bring, not an imitation of what they had.
This is the central tension of the first 90 days. The key is recognizing that learning IS leading during this phase. When you're visible, curious, and engaged in understanding the organization, you're leading by modeling the reflective, thoughtful approach you want the organization to embody. Action-oriented leadership comes later, built on the foundation of understanding you're creating now.