Beyond the First 100 Days Rhetoric: How to Ensure the Long-Term Success of New CEOs

Few ideas in leadership transitions carry as much weight as the “First 100 Days.” Boards expect quick wins. Investors look for visible signals of confidence. Employees want immediate clarity on direction. The first 100 days have become a near-mythical window for proving a leader’s legitimacy.

The problem is that this narrative, while powerful, is also overplayed. Early wins matter—but they do not alone secure a CEO’s success.

In fact, many of the challenges that determine a CEO’s long-term success don’t surface until well beyond the first 100 days: entrenched cultural resistance, stakeholder misalignment, strategy execution gaps, or the simple fatigue that follows the intensity of the early sprint. So, while a strong first impression is important, it can mask deeper vulnerabilities if it becomes the sole yardstick of success.

For boards and CHROs, the task is to shift the lens. The real test of CEO effectiveness lies not just in the opening months but in sustaining momentum through the first year and beyond.

Here, we explore why support during a CEO’s “First 100 Days” is not enough, and what CHROs can do to ensure new CEOs are supported for long-term impact.

The difference between CEO onboarding and transition

Onboarding and transition are often treated as the same process, but they serve very different purposes.

Onboarding helps a new CEO understand the organization—its structure, priorities, and people. Transition helps them take ownership of it—aligning strategy, culture, and relationships in ways that sustain performance over time.

The risk comes from an assumption that once onboarding ends, the hardest work is done. In reality, that’s when it begins. Boards and CHROs need to build structured support to guide this—combining feedback, reflection, and coaching that keep the leader learning long after the introductions are over.

The First 100 Days: The problem with the 100-day sprint

The “First 100 Days” narrative persists because it offers simplicity in a complex moment. It promises that success can be timed, measured, and delivered on schedule. But the reality of leadership is slower and deeper.

Sustained performance comes from pacing, not speed—from understanding before acting, and from building systems that continue to deliver long after the spotlight shifts.

The CEOs who succeed over time are those who listen first, decide later, and grow into the role rather than rushing through it.

Yet many CEOs feel pressure—often from themselves—to demonstrate immediate impact. They arrive eager to make their mark with detailed plans, early announcements, bold priorities, and structural changes designed to signal control.

The reality, however, is that meaningful progress depends on understanding the system before trying to reshape it. Acting without that understanding can create lasting damage.

During the early months, every new CEO must pause long enough to build context: how decisions are made, where influence sits, and what invisible rules govern behavior. Moving too fast risks fixing symptoms rather than causes—or triggering resistance before credibility is earned.

Effective boards and CHROs help create this space. They shift expectations from early activity to early insight, asking not what the CEO has changed but what they have learned. That subtle difference gives leaders permission to listen deeply, pace decisions, and build momentum on solid ground.

What really determines CEO success: The long game of CEO transition

The real work of a CEO transition unfolds across the first 12 to 18 months. By this stage, the excitement of appointment has faded, and the organization begins to test whether the new leadership will deliver real change.

Success depends on strengthening four interconnected areas of leadership that together define sustainable performance.

Together, these four areas form the foundation of a successful transition. When boards and CHROs invest in structured support across each, they give CEOs the perspective and tools to lead deliberately—not just confidently—from the start.

Lessons for boards and CHROs

Boards and CHROs shape the conditions that determine whether a transition stabilizes or stalls. Their responsibility extends beyond hiring the right leader to maintaining the right environment for that leader to succeed.

Authors

Flávia Leão Fernandes is a member of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Development Practice. She is based in São Paulo.

Marie-Osmonde Le Roy de Lanauze-Molines is a member of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Development Practice. She is based in Dubai. 

Ty Wiggins is the global leader of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Executive Transitions Practice. He is based in Sydney.

Andrew White is a member of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Development Practice. He is based in London.