288: First 90 Days in a VP or C-Level Role: The Mistakes to Avoid and the Moves That Work

You finally landed the new role, the VP or senior executive title you have been working toward, and the clock starts on your first ninety days. In this episode, Sean Barnes breaks down the most common mistake new leaders make: rushing in to prove their value and fix everything at once. Instead, he lays out a calmer, more durable approach.

Start by sitting down one on one with every person on your team and asking what they are seeing and where they are stuck. Then step outside your team to meet business unit leaders and visit the locations you now support, because the real picture lives in the business, not in the spreadsheets back at the corporate office. Sean explains how clarity builds gradually as you take notes and talk to more people, the way an image sharpens when you focus a camera lens.

From there he covers how to prioritize what matters, why stacking small early wins builds the trust and political capital you will need for bigger changes, and how to push back when the board wants everything fixed overnight. The throughline is simple: slow down, listen, absorb, and prioritize before you act.

Key Moments

00:00:00 - The mistake new leaders make: trying to fix everything at once

00:00:53 - Start with one on one conversations with your team

00:01:51 - Get out of the ivory tower and into the business

00:02:46 - Clarity builds gradually, like focusing a camera lens

00:03:45 - Sorting the big initiatives from the quick fixes

00:04:40 - Small wins build political capital

00:05:37 - Handling board pressure to move fast

00:06:35 - Slow down, listen, absorb, prioritize

Key Takeaways

Don't come in swinging. The instinct to prove yourself by fixing everything in week one does more damage than good.
Listen before you lead. One on one conversations with your team, plus getting out to the actual business, is how the real priorities come into focus.
Bank small wins first. Early wins build the trust and goodwill you will need when the bigger, less popular changes arrive.

Podcast Show Notes – Episode 288 | 06.30.2026

Episode Title: First 90 Days in a VP or C-Level Role: The Mistakes to Avoid and the Moves That Work

Host: Sean Barnes

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