Why Your First 100 Days Is Pivotal

Let’s look at how some leaders used their First 100 Days. 

FDR used the first 100 days not just to hold forth on ending the Great Depression with a “chicken in every pot” but to pass a torrent of stop-gap legislation designed to build the American people’s confidence and demonstrate that someone was taking action.

FDR’s rapid succession of quick wins built his personal credibility and political clout, resulting in positive momentum.

John F. Kennedy made an inspiring inaugural address that elevated his stature as a world leader but his actual accomplishments thereafter were not significant.

Ronald Reagan accomplished a lot in his first 100 days, but most people cannot remember what they were.

Will you establish a “virtuous” or “vicious” circle in your first 100 days?

After studying the first 100 days of many of today’s leaders today, as well as leaders historically, I have arrived at the conclusion that it is not that a new president’s or CEO’s first 100 days will either guarantee their success or failure; it’s that the first 100 days transition is a time when “virtuous circles” of increasing credibility and momentum or “vicious circles” of diminishing credibility, and inertia get established.

It is definitely a time when the leader builds momentum toward their vision…or doesn’t.

It is a time when the leader is seen as taking charge of the crisis at hand or not, and most importantly when opinions about the leader crystalize.

Things spoken or misspoken, like Bill Clinton’s comments about gays in the military, feed downward spirals that can be hard to arrest.

The key for leaders to think of, especially if they don’t have a proper mandate is to build personal credibility, political capital, and momentum through a rapid succession of quick wins, rather than dig a hole by trying to take on too much and then having to crawl out.

Go for small early wins that can be a spearhead for a larger breakthrough

Think in terms of the “breakthrough strategy” where instead of focusing on trying to amass more authority or resources, or to create new readiness for change, focus on what you can accomplish by exploiting the authority, resources, and change readiness that already exists.

You need to set yourself up for success by designing breakthrough projects where, instead of people rolling their eyes in disbelief and saying this is the dumbest thing in the world, people look you in the eye and say with unrestrained enthusiasm, “This is what we’ve all been waiting for.”

Keep in mind that the whole idea of the “breakthrough strategy” is to bypass elaborate planning and preparations, and to get a rapid result that will build personal credibility, political capital, and momentum.

Focus on designing an early win:

• Identify the biggest sticking points and strategy for overcoming them
• Look for where there is a sense of urgency and where success is near and clear (think weeks, not months)
• Layout a set of coherent actions
• Get going right now, immediately, and get a result