Bringing in a new executive leader during a period of growth is a powerful but precarious move. At Arant Ventures, we’ve helped guide dozens of companies through the delicate process of executive integration—especially during seasons of transition, ambition, or even chaos.
Through that experience, we’ve seen a clear pattern emerge: a three-phase journey we call Honeymoon, Fire, and Real Trust, Real Results. Understanding these stages—and coaching your team through them—is critical for long-term success.
Let’s break them down.
Phase 1: The Honeymoon
In the first 60 to 90 days, the new leader walks into the room with fresh eyes, new ideas, and a wave of optimism.
But here’s the truth: If your organization has gone through significant change—whether it’s a toxic predecessor, shifting priorities, or clunky systems—your team isn’t just waiting to be led. They’re waiting to be seen.
At Arant Ventures, we coach executives to start not with strategy but with service.
This is the time to:
- Validate past brokenness. Acknowledge what was hard. Don’t minimize it.
- Build rapport. Understand what makes your team tick—both professionally and personally.
- Listen deeply. Ask what success looks like for them and what they’re afraid of repeating.
- Lead by example. Model humility, empathy, and the kind of character that earns trust.
This phase isn’t about jumping to action. It’s about laying the human foundation that makes action possible. When done well, the Honeymoon builds real loyalty. When skipped, the Fire comes sooner and burns hotter.
Phase 2: The Fire
Here’s the hard truth: The Fire is inevitable. And while the Honeymoon brings hope, the Fire tests it.
This is the stage where the initial wins start to slow down. Complexity rises. You face tough decisions about performance, alignment, and systems.
We often see this begin around the 3-to-6-month mark—but it can last weeks to years depending on the size of the team, depth of the issues, and the willingness of the company to invest in the process.
We break this stage into The Three P’s:
1. Perception
How is your leadership being perceived?
Are you seen as transparent, confident, collaborative—or indecisive, rigid, disconnected?
Perception isn’t everything, but it frames everything. Leaders must actively gather feedback, ask hard questions, and understand how their presence is landing on both individuals and the group.
🔥 Case in Point:
A mid-market health tech company brought in a seasoned COO to stabilize operations. The first few months were filled with town halls, team lunches, and energy. But by month four, things got real:
She had to rework a department that had too many dotted lines and not enough results. Her decisiveness was misinterpreted as coldness. Two managers resigned. Morale dipped.She paused, brought in a coach, and spent two weeks doing 1-on-1 interviews with every director. The feedback helped her course-correct the tone while not sacrificing the necessary change. Today, that department is thriving—with the same metrics that caused friction in the Fire now being celebrated.
2. Performance
Now is the time to establish clear expectations for both yourself and your team.
Set goals that are achievable but challenging. Create scorecards, lead indicators, and communicate consistently.
Encourage performance by:
- Celebrating quick wins
- Hosting retrospectives and team check-ins
- Empowering others to lead small projects
Here are a few great reads and tools that help in this stage:
3. Prepare
Even while you’re still fighting fires, you must be laying the groundwork for scale.
Ask:
- What processes will still work when we double?
- What needs to be automated, delegated, or eliminated?
- How do we define what “good” looks like—and how often do we calibrate?
This is also when you start to embed resilience:
Build a foundation strong enough to handle pressure, growth, and leadership shifts down the line.
Many organizations bail during this stage. They let discomfort dictate decision-making. They blame the new leader. They revert to old ways.
But those who persist get to the most rewarding phase.
Phase 3: Real Trust, Real Results
This is where the work pays off.
Real trust emerges when teams:
- Own their outcomes
- Self-manage with clarity and purpose
- Feel safe raising issues, ideas, and concerns
Real results emerge when:
- Systems hum in the background, not the foreground
- Teams use data to drive decisions
- The company grows on purpose, not by accident
Ownership at this stage looks like:
- Department heads driving priorities with autonomy
- Managers mentoring talent, not just managing tasks
- A culture that enforces values peer-to-peer
And here’s the biggest win: You can finally get out of the weeds.
Leaders lead. Operators operate. Everyone has their lane.
Use data intentionally to ensure that your growth is backed by reality. Don’t be afraid of poor data—it tells a story too.
Final Thoughts
At Arant Ventures, we believe growth is more than strategy—it’s emotional, relational, and operational. Bringing in a new executive isn’t just hiring a leader—it’s reshaping your trajectory.
If you’re in the Honeymoon, savor it and set the tone.
If you’re in the Fire, stay with it. Get the right advisors. Set the expectations. Lead with empathy and accountability.
And if you’ve made it to Real Trust and Real Results—don’t stop there. That’s where the next mountain starts.
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Want help navigating the Fire stage? We’d love to talk.
Contact Arant Ventures