# The First 90 Days  ## Metadata - Author: [[Michael D. Watkins]] - Full Title: The First 90 Days - Category: #books ## Highlights - Your goal in every transition is to get as rapidly as possible to the break-even point. This is the point at which you have contributed as much value to your new organization as you have consumed from it. ([Location 176](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=176)) - Tags: [[blue]] - But your objective is not only to avoid vicious cycles; you need to create virtuous cycles that help you create momentum and establish an upward spiral of increasing effectiveness (see figure I-3). Good initial decisions founded on the right kind of learning, for example, bolster your personal credibility. As people come to trust your judgment, your ability to learn accelerates, and you equip yourself to make sound calls on tougher issues. ([Location 223](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=223)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Leadership ultimately is about influence and leverage. You are, after all, only one person. To be successful, you need to mobilize the energy of many others in your organization. ([Location 234](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=234)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Transition failures happen because new leaders either misunderstand the essential demands of the situation or lack the skill and flexibility to adapt to them. ([Location 242](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=242)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Accelerate your learning. You need to climb the learning curve as fast as you can in your new organization. This means understanding its markets, products, technologies, systems, and structures, as well as its culture and politics. Learning about a new organization can feel like drinking from a fire hose. You must be systematic and focused about deciding what you need to learn and how you will learn it most efficiently. ([Location 252](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=252)) - Tags: [[blue]] - Secure early wins. Early wins build your credibility and create momentum. They create virtuous cycles that leverage the energy you put into the organization to create a pervasive sense that good things are happening. In the first few weeks, you need to identify opportunities to build personal credibility. In the first 90 days, you need to identify ways to create value and improve business results that will help you get to the break-even point more rapidly. ([Location 258](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B00B6U63ZE&location=258)) - Tags: [[blue]]