THRIVING IN YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS - LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS SERIES

Your First 90 Days: How Great Leaders Start Strong

🎧 From the Leadership Upgrade Podcast — Local Government Leaders Series

The first 90 days in a new role set the trajectory for everything that follows.

Whether you’re stepping into a leadership position or beginning as a key team member, that early window determines how effectively you’ll build trust, establish credibility, and align yourself with purpose.

In this episode of the Leadership Upgrade Podcast — Local Government Leaders Series, Steve and I spoke with Belinda Walker, HR Operations Program Leader at Logan City Council.

Our discussion explored what makes the first three months so defining — not just for leaders in government, but for anyone navigating a complex organisation.

While the principles of success are universal, the environment of local government amplifies them.

Balancing public accountability, multiple stakeholders, and intricate systems demands a thoughtful, structured approach. Without it, even capable people can lose momentum early.

Why the First 90 Days Matter

After years of coaching and observing leaders in transition, one truth consistently emerges: those who succeed early on don’t try to do everything — they focus on doing the right things.

The early days aren’t always about proving yourself through performance; they’re about building understanding. The most effective people start with curiosity, context, and connection — not just action for action’s sake.

As I reflected during the episode, this period is when you ask essential questions:

What are my leader’s top priorities?
How does my team deliver value?
Who do I need to build trust with early?

If you start without clarity on those fundamentals, you risk setting the wrong tone and spending the next year repairing what could have been shaped in weeks.

Build Context Before Action

Belinda Walker put it simply: those early days are crucial because they set the tone for the employment relationship. When a person feels welcomed, supported, and clear about expectations, they form a lasting sense of connection and purpose.

That sense of context doesn’t emerge by accident — it’s cultivated.

Successful leaders and team members alike invest time in understanding:

Why their work matters,
Who their key stakeholders are, and
How their role contributes to broader goals.

This isn’t administrative onboarding — it’s cultural integration. It’s how people move from “new starter” to valued contributor.

The Warning Signs of a Poor Start

Steve asked Belinda what early warning signs she looks for when things aren’t going well, and her insights were clear.

The same red flags appear across most organisations:

A lack of clarity around purpose and expectations.
Limited connection with peers and stakeholders.
Attempts to “fix” systems before understanding them.
Underestimating the complexity of the environment.

In local government, that last point is particularly visible. New starters from the private sector often focus on performance and expect agility but underestimate the collaborative, consultative rhythm that defines council work. As Belinda explained, expertise might secure the role, but success depends on how well you learn and work within the system.

That statement captures an essential leadership truth:

Effectiveness is contextual. It’s not about what you know — it’s about how well you apply it within the environment you’ve joined.

The Skill–Will–Hill Framework

Belinda introduced a model during our discussion that beautifully distils the dynamics of performance — the Skill–Will–Hill model.

Every person’s impact is shaped by three variables:

Skill — the capability and knowledge they bring,
Will — their motivation and drive, and
Hill — the obstacles that slow them down.

It’s a simple, powerful lens through which to understand team dynamics.

As Belinda explained, the leader’s role isn’t to remove every hill, but to identify which obstacles genuinely block progress and which ones develop resilience. People often perform at their best when the challenge is right, not absent.

That distinction is critical. The wrong kind of pressure breaks performance, while the right kind of challenge can actually elevate performance.

Shared Ownership of the First 90 Days

A key theme that emerged from our conversation was the shared responsibility for successfully onboarding new starters. It isn’t something that belongs solely to HR or the incoming employee — it’s a partnership between the organisation, the leader, and the individual.

Belinda captured it perfectly: “Smart people ask dumb questions.”

It’s one of the best habits you can build when starting somewhere new — ask questions, stay curious, and don’t assume you should already know the answers.

That willingness to learn openly accelerates integration and reduces the risk of misalignment.

It also signals humility, which is one of the most powerful trust accelerators a new professional can demonstrate.

Building Psychological Safety and Team Culture

Belinda and I spoke about the importance of creating psychological safety early — the kind that comes from trust, clarity, and consistency. She explained that when teams establish that safety and agreed behaviours early, people perform better and move forward together faster.

That principle holds true in every sector but is especially critical in local government, where sustained collaboration drives long-term community outcomes. When people feel safe to speak up, contribute, and take ownership, performance naturally follows.

Key Actions to Get You Started

Below are just a few highlights drawn from the Your First 90 Days Playbook — a free resource I’ve developed to help you structure your own plan for a successful start. <<<link>>>>

If you’re preparing for a new role, have someone coming onboard your team, or currently navigating those first few months, here are some core actions to anchor your focus:

1️⃣ Listen Before You Lead

Spend your first month learning. Map your environment, understand context, and resist the urge to fix what you don’t yet understand.

2️⃣ Build Context and Connection

Clarify expectations with your leader, connect with key peers, and make purpose visible to your team.

3️⃣ Identify and Remove “Hills”

Ask your team what slows them down. Remove the friction that doesn’t add value, and coach through the challenges that build capability.

4️⃣ Create Early Wins

Look for achievable outcomes that reinforce trust and demonstrate alignment — not personal heroics, but collective progress.

Key Takeaways

However you lead — in government, business, or community — your impact starts with how you begin.

The first 90 days are not a warm-up — they are the foundation for success.
Context and connection drive confidence and performance.
Great leaders, and great employees, start with curiosity, not certainty.

The full Your First 90 Days Playbook includes KPIs, reflective questions, and detailed action steps across each phase: 0–30, 31–60, and 61–90 days.

Your First 90 Days — Free Download

If you’re serious about setting yourself up for success, don’t rely on instinct alone. Structure your approach.

Download your free copy of the Your First 90 Days Playbook at www.leadershipupgrade.org — and start your next chapter with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

🎧 Listen for More

If you’d like to go deeper, watch and listen to our conversation with Belinda Walker in the latest Leadership Upgrade Podcast — Local Government Leaders Series.

Watch and Listen now: