---
title: The First 90 Days
synced_from_vault: true
vault_source: 03-living-docs/books/The-First-90-Days.md
public: true
type: book
author: Michael Watkins
tags:
  - book
  - leadership
  - transitions
  - career
status: reference
---

| | |
|-|-|
| **Author** | Michael Watkins |
| **Domain** | Leadership transitions |
| **Status** | Reference |

---

## Core Ideas

- **Transitions are the most leveraged moments** — the first 90 days set the trajectory for the entire role
- **Secure early wins** — demonstrate competence quickly without overreaching
- **Build your team** — assess, restructure, earn trust in parallel
- **Match strategy to situation** — startup vs. turnaround vs. sustaining success require different playbooks
- **What to share with your new boss** — manage up deliberately during the learning phase

---

## Why It Matters to Me

The canonical book on leadership transitions. Directly relevant to DO opportunity — how to learn, listen, assess, and earn trust while also delivering results within a compressed timeline (baby arriving ~Week 6).

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## People Who Reference This

- (General career reference — relevant to any leadership transition)

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## Where It Shows Up

- Working-With-Dave — information management reading list
- first-90-days-wartime — the wartime version of this framework

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## Key Concepts

| Concept | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| **Early wins** | Quick, visible results that build credibility and momentum |
| **STARS framework** | Start-up, Turnaround, Accelerated growth, Realignment, Sustaining success — different situations need different approaches |
| **Manage up** | Deliberately negotiate expectations and communication rhythms with your new boss |
| **Avoid the "action imperative"** | Resist the urge to make big changes before you understand the system |