Welcome to the Jungle: Navigating Your New Leadership Role with Confidence While Stepping into the Unknown

Starting strong in a new leadership role is essential for success. While hospitalists are often well-prepared for leadership positions, they typically lack training in managing effective transitions. In this session, Rachel Cyrus, MD, associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and Shaker Eid, MD, MBA, CPE, FACHE, SFHM, associate vice president of medical operations at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, shared strategies for stepping into a new leadership role with confidence and poise. The focus was on embracing humility, learning from your team, building momentum, and employing key strategies to elevate your team to the next level.

A common mistake many new leaders make is failing to properly assess the current state of their team, department, or organization. Instead, they base their transition strategies on limited past experiences, which often leads to failure. The STARS model, developed by Michael Watkins (a professor of leadership and organizational change), is a framework designed to assess the situation and guide new leaders in tailoring their strategies for success. “STARS” stands for the five common scenarios leaders may face: Start-up (new initiative), Turnaround (rescuing a failing project), Accelerated growth (rapid expansion), Realignment (reenergizing the team or organization), and Sustaining success (maintaining an already successful team).

In addition to the STARS model, there are six fundamental principles for effective leadership transitions. How these principles are applied depends on the specific situation. First is to organize your learning process—identify what you need to learn, who can teach you, and the best learning method. The second is to define your strategic intent—clarify the vision for the future and the steps to get there. Third, establish clear priorities—identify the key goals that must be accomplished in the first year. Fourth, focus on building your leadership team—strike the right balance between bringing in external talent and promoting high-potential internal team members to support the vision. Fifth is securing early wins—these build credibility and energize the team. Sixth is creating strategic alliances—identify key influencers within the organization who can support your initiatives. The presenters also introduced a seventh principle: reward success to ensure the well-being of the team.

Early wins are crucial for building credibility, motivating the team, and quickly creating value within the organization. The presenters offered five tips for selecting early wins and avoiding common pitfalls. First, focus on scope—choose a few high-potential projects or goals to pursue. Second, prioritize wisely—understand which priorities will deliver the most value to the team and the organization. Third, exemplify desired behavior—achieve wins in ways that reflect the behaviors you want to instill in your team. Fourth, account for the situation—what qualifies as an early win can vary depending on the context. Fifth, adjust for culture—this is especially important when transitioning from a different organization. Amplifying early wins is essential for showcasing your leadership success. Consider how you will share your wins—who needs to know, what data supports your success, what story it tells, and what steps are next to scale this success within your department or organization.

New leaders often fall into common traps, such as overloading themselves with early actions, misjudging the culture, neglecting relationships, or failing to adjust their leadership style. Many new leaders focus on easy wins, which can help build morale and provide immediate positive feedback, but this approach may overlook more strategic, long-term goals. Overloading on quick wins can distract from the overall transformation objectives, leading to fatigue, reduced productivity, increased stress, and greater resistance to change.

The presenters also provided strategies for nurturing both vertical and lateral relationships. Vertical relationships are between leaders and their direct reports, while lateral relationships are with peers. For vertical relationships, it’s important to set clear expectations, maintain regular communication, and provide feedback. Lateral relationships require finding mutually beneficial solutions, understanding the needs of others, offering support, and seeking advice. Another mistake leaders make is failing to adjust their leadership style. They may assume that the skills and strategies that helped them achieve their current role will continue to be successful. The presenters emphasized the need to shift from being a star performer to being a star leader, which involves developing new skills, recognizing changes in achievement, and building peer relationships.

By integrating these strategies into everyday practice, new leaders can develop a roadmap for maximizing their impact during the first 90 days in their role. The presenters proposed a 90-day roadmap: In the first month, focus on building vertical and lateral relationships and assessing performance data. In the second month, review performance data with your team, continue building lateral and strategic relationships, and work on early wins. In the third month, summarize the early wins, maintain relationship-building efforts, and start planning for long-term strategies.

Dr. Iyer is an academic hospitalist and an associate clinical professor in the department of medicine at UCI Health at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine in Orange, Calif.