The first day in a new chief executive role can feel like standing on a cliff edge. You’ve been appointed, celebrated, and announced. Soon the spotlight will swing firmly onto you – the person responsible for setting direction, reassuring staff, and delivering on mission.
In reality, your journey begins long before that first day at the desk.
The Chief Executive’s First 100 Days, written by Dr Helen Timbrell for ACEVO and CCE, calls this the Countdown stage: the crucial period between accepting the job and actually stepping into post. Far from a waiting room, this time is a sometimes underused opportunity to lay the foundations for success.
Why preparation matters
Many CEOs say the mistake they made in their early days was underestimating how much could be done before “day one.” It’s easy to think you should wait until you’re officially in the role to get started. But the guide stresses that the Countdown period is when you are at your strongest in some ways. You have permission to ask searching questions, people are naturally curious about you, and expectations of delivery haven’t yet kicked in.
As one current CEO spoken to as part of the fieldwork for the publication put it: “This is your moment of greatest strength. Ask the questions you really want to ask.”
Preparation doesn’t just make you look more credible. It gives you confidence and resilience for what’s ahead.
Building relationships early
Top of the list is relationships. A productive partnership with your chair is often described as the single most important factor in a CEO’s success. Use the pre-start window to clarify how you’ll work together. How often will you meet? What’s the best way to give each other feedback? What boundaries will protect your time and wellbeing?
But don’t stop there. Trustees and the senior management team also shape your early experience. Informal conversations be they over coffee, on a call, or even a walk can make formal meetings later flow more smoothly.
Staff and volunteers will also notice how you choose to connect and communicate; even a short, thoughtful introduction in an internal newsletter can set a tone of openness.
These first impressions can’t be remade. As one chair put it: “To disappear from view after appointment but before starting is a big red flag.”
Digging into the detail
Preparation is also about understanding the organisation you’re about to lead. Beyond the glossy brochures and annual accounts lies the reality of how the organisation is run.
Some overarching thoughts covered in greater depth by The Chief Executive’s First 100 Days include exploration of:
- Finances. Go deeper than the headline accounts. What’s the cashflow picture? Are reserves healthy? Are there dependencies on a single funder or income stream?
- Governance. How does the board operate? Which trustees have particular responsibilities? What’s the rhythm of meetings and sub-committees?
- Culture. How do people talk about the organisation? What values are lived as well as stated? Where is there energy for change, and where is there resistance?
- External profile. How is the organisation seen by partners, funders, or the media? What opportunities or risks are emerging in its operating environment?
The publication goes much further with other recommendations, not to mention practical thoughts on gathering the data for your fact-finding.
None of this is about making judgements too early. Instead, it’s about building a rounded picture so that when you arrive, you’re not starting from zero.
Preparing yourself
Countdown is not only about the organisation, it’s also about you. No leader arrives fully formed. Chairs repeatedly say they look for new CEOs who are open about their development needs.
This might mean:
- Setting up a coaching or mentoring relationship before you begin.
- Testing your emotional intelligence with a self-assessment tool, to understand how you react under pressure.
- Creating and using a peer support network to reduce feelings of isolation and create a ready reference point for early questions
- Identifying areas where you need to deepen knowledge, such as digital leadership, fundraising models, or social justice approaches.
- Creating a personal leadership development plan to review regularly with your chair.
As one CEO reflected later: “I wish I’d prioritised finding a coach before I started — once you’re in role, it falls to the bottom of the to-do list.”
The payoff of preparation
Every new chief executive faces a steep learning curve. But those who prepare well find they enter with more energy, clarity, and credibility. They have a sense of the terrain, a set of early allies, and a clearer idea of the questions that still need answering.
The Countdown stage won’t tell you everything. Surprises are inevitable, and crises don’t wait politely until you’re settled. But used wisely, this time can transform your first 100 days from reactive survival into intentional leadership.
