A new CEO reached out to me before she had even stepped into the role to ask for some guidance.
As a starting point, I shared my 21 things I wish I had known.β
If it is useful, you can
But the more substantive conversation was about what the first year actually looks like in theory. Not as a perfect plan, but as a set of phases she was likely to experiences, so she could recognise them when they arrived rather than be blindsided by them.
This was not about removing the difficulty.
It was about reducing surprise.
πΉ Phase 1: Step into the role (before day 1)β
This work started before she formally began.
We focused on why she was taking the role, why now, and what kind of impact she wanted to create. We named the leadership muscles she would naturally rely on, and the ones that would need strengthening. Naming this early shapes how you show up on day one.
This was also the moment to listen carefully to board members individually. What they each want from a CEO. Their priorities. And where there may already be tension or misalignment.
Before day one, clarity matters more than confidence.
πΉ Phase 2: Start strong through discoveryβ
This phase was about restraint.
She was very aware of her instinct to prove herself quickly, to the board and to herself. We talked explicitly about resisting that pull.
The early months are not about personal branding.They are about learning. Turning up curiosity. Sitting with not being fully in control. Listening deeply, including to what people avoid saying.
Trust is the work in this phase. Without trust, nothing moves forward.
πΉ Phase 3: Implement and deliver early wins β
This is where things get hard.
You see many things that need attention. You cannot do them all.
Prioritisation becomes critical. Some visible progress matters, for teams and for boards, but it needs to sit within a broader roadmap rather than a series of disconnected fixes.
This is also the phase where fresh eyes start to dull. The discipline here is to stay a catalyst and to normalise course correction before there is a crisis.
Momentum without direction feels productive. It rarely is.
πΉ Phase 4: Strengthen what outlasts you
Towards the end of the first year, we talked about stewardship.
Not exit planning, but asking early what you want to leave behind and how you design an organisation that does not rely on you.
The ultimate test of leadership is not what happens while you are in charge, but what holds once you are no longer in the room.
Who surrounds you matters more than you think
Alongside all of this, we spent time looking at the people around her.
Her executive team.
Her board.
Are they challenging her thinking or mirroring it?
Do they debate and test ideas, or simply echo them?
Cognitive diversity is not a nice to have.
It is the engine that keeps organisations relevant, adaptive, and honest.
If everyone around the CEO thinks the same way, the organisation will stop learning long before it stops performing.
Leading for impact rather than profile
The CEO role is not about personal glory and she really understood this.
It is about putting the mission, the people, and the long term health of the organisation first. Modelling humility alongside performance. Valuing relevance alongside results. And making decisions that strengthen what outlasts you.
This is not exhaustive first year guide.β
βIt reflects patterns, not prescriptions.
If you are stepping into a CEO role, I would be interested to hear what else you would prioritise in your first year and if you look back on your first year if that seems a while ago - what do you wish you had done differently?.
And if you want support thinking this through before or during that first year, feel free to reach out.
Liz
Warmly,
βLizβ
βStrategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
β