What is a leadership transition?
A leadership transition is the period when a leader moves into a new role, when early choices shape credibility and results. It covers internal promotions and outside hires. The new leader is learning the business while the team and the boss form a view of the leader. Impressions formed in this window can be hard to change later.
Why it matters to a revenue leader
A 2018 McKinsey article by Scott Keller reports that 27 to 46 percent of executive transitions are judged failures or disappointments two years in. Michael Watkins argued in HBR that new leaders often fall back on what worked in their previous role, even when the new situation needs something else. A VP Sales promoted to CRO, or a CRO joining a PE-backed company partway through the hold, may face a turnaround where the last playbook was built for growth.
Example
Fictitious numbersA CRO joins a fire protection platform eight months into the sponsor's hold. Her last company grew on new logos, while this plan depends on raising agreement renewal rates. She spends her first weeks with branch managers and the operating partner before changing anything in the coverage model.
"What worked in my last role that may not fit the situation I am in now?"
Sources
- Successfully transitioning to new leadership roles (McKinsey & Company) checked 9 Oct 2026
- Picking the Right Transition Strategy (Harvard Business Review) checked 9 Oct 2026