Having a plan for your first 100 days will help you get your new leadership role off to a flying start, says Fiona Rawlinson.

In the current global economy, making an impact early on in a new leadership role is more important than ever. Your performance in your first 100 days can be the difference between success and failure in your new role.

Ambitious and dynamic leaders need to divest themselves of the idea that the first 100 days can be considered the honeymoon or settling-in period – those days are long gone. Judgements are made much more quickly now – a leader’s achievements in the first 100 days are routinely taken as an indication of his or her leadership potential in the future.

An approach based on performance acceleration and immediate return on investment is more essential than ever. The first step in accelerating performance in the first 100 days is to detach yourself from your old role and organisation as quickly and cleanly as possible. For the internal appointee this can be difficult, as it is understandably tempting to stay involved in the previous role. However, it is imperative to completely detach from your old role, and focus fully on the new one.

Any newly appointed leader will experience a heady mix of emotions during the first 100 days; anticipation, excitement, anxiety, stress. And the potential for blunders is great. But, early mistakes can have a lasting negative effect. The ability to transition is an underestimated leadership skill. Undoubtedly you will face challenges during the early days of your new appointment.

Anticipating and understanding what these challenges are likely to be - time pressures, being overwhelmed with task-driven priorities, inexperience of the new company culture - will help you avoid derailment. Your new role should be treated as a marathon – you want to be successful now, but also to set the tone for long-term success.

And so, a strong, achievable and focused plan for the first 100 days is vital. In what can be a chaotic and emotional time - with many distractions – putting your detailed first 100 days plan into action will give you structure and focus. Once you have clearly outlined your key strategic priorities it will be easier to remain focused on them.

When writing your plan, attention should be given to a number of key performance accelerators. These incliude:

1. Building relationships

You must invest early in building new networks and forging strong and effective stakeholder relationships. Get to know your bosses, your bosses’ boss, your subordinates and your peers, both in your own and in other departments.

2. Paying attention to your emotional intelligence

The first 100 days is an intense time period, so understanding that your emotional reactions are heightened is crucial. Tune in to your emotions and intuitions. Be aware of how your emotions affect you – your performance at work – and others around you.

3. Focusing on leadership effectiveness

You need to focus on your leadership effectiveness – that is, understanding what leadership is really about. Put simply, a leader must set a clear direction, bring people with him/her, and deliver results.

4. Building a high performing team

Performance acceleration is not possible unless you have the right people in the right roles. You need to build a high performing team. With this in mind you must critically assess your team early on - and figure out who the key decision-makers, influencers and potential blockers are. It may be necessary to recruit fresh talent and energy, or simply to restructure the team. You need to be able to communicate your vision to your team and set a clear direction.

Fiona Rawlinson is managing director of First100. The First100 approach is about identifying strategic priorities and setting achievable aims. Find out more here.