Early in my tenure leading innovation and creativity at Disney, I sat in one of the most talented rooms I had ever been in. Storytellers. Designers. Creative leaders behind some of the most beloved experiences on earth.
I noticed something that stayed with me: When a senior leader reacted to an idea, even subtly, the room followed. Not because the culture was broken, but because that’s what humans do. In high-stakes environments, we look to the most powerful person in the room and calibrate.
That observation shaped everything I built during my 30 years at Disney. Even in the world’s most creative company, great ideas only surface when the conditions are right. And the person responsible for those conditions is the leader.
I’ve seen the same pattern everywhere since. Especially with external hires in their first 90 days. The ones who struggle aren’t short on vision, but they move to strategy too quickly, before building the trust that makes good strategy possible. They’re trying to lead before people are ready to follow.
External leaders are set up to fail fast. Here’s how to succeed instead.
External hires walk in with a built-in disadvantage.
They’re brought in to challenge thinking, but they quickly discover the organization rewards the opposite: knowing the history, reading the room, understanding the unwritten rules.
Most CEOs are still promoted from within. In 2025, 60% of new S&P 1500 CEOs were internal promotions, and that number climbs even higher in the S&P 500. External hires remain the exception, often hired during periods of disruption, where expectations are high and context is limited.
The moment a new leader arrives, employees’ sense of psychological safety is at risk. Researchers have found that during periods of disruption, uncertainty rises—and without inclusive leadership and strong team support, employees are more likely to withdraw.
People don’t yet know if it’s safe to speak up or what actually matters to this person, so they hold back. And the leader loses access to the honesty they need most.
This is where most transitions go wrong. Not in strategy, but in trust.
The good news? Trust can be built quickly if you focus on the right behaviors early. To discover the 4 behaviors external leaders use to create that foundation in their first 90 days, read the full article over on Fast Company.
Photo Credit: Getty/Fast Company
