Leadership Transitions: How Business Leaders Take Charge in New Roles

In a working life of 35 years, a manager can expect to make at least 10 job changes - or 10 transitions - where the demands for rapid business delivery and effective leadership will only increase with each new job. According to recent research, upwards of 25 per cent of new leaders appointed from within fail within 18 months; the figure is closer to 40 per cent for new leaders appointed from outside the company or sector.

Leadership Transitions identifies the sources of these failures and how to overcome them. The authors show that, whether the new leader has arrived as an external appointment or has been promoted internally, the experiences are very similar and can be divided into three phases: Arriving, Surviving and Thriving. By analyzing the different features of the leader's experience at each of these stages, the authors are able to provide a strategy for leaders to take charge successfully in their new roles.

About the Authors

Richard Elsner is a writer, consultant and coach. He has been Managing Director of The Turning Point for 3 years, and prior to that, he worked as a change and organization consultant with Kinsley Lord and KPMG. He also teaches in the MBA program at HEC Paris.

Bridget Farrands is an international organization consultant and coach.