Leading after your predecessor fails

Leading after your predecessor fails 
Harvard Business Review; by Jordan Stark and Darcy Eikenberg; 7/16/25 
... Being promoted to lead after your predecessor fails is often anything but a victory lap. In fact, a 10-year longitudinal research project on executive transitions by consulting firm Navalent found that more than 50% of executives who “inherit a mess” fail within their first 18 months on the job. ...  Succeeding after your predecessor fails demands an entirely different leadership approach. 

• Prepare to be surprised. ...
• Accelerate reflection. ...
• What’s broken in the system that my predecessor could not fix?
• [Go to the source article for more great questions to ask.]
• Don’t delegate—dig in. ...
• Be honest in communicating what needs fixing and where you’re going. ...
• Don’t blame your predecessor. ...
• Use the power of “and.” ...
• Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. ...
• Make sure your team is having the right conversations. ...
• Be patient with yourself. ...