Your First 90 Days with LIFO®: A New-Role Playbook for Leaders
Based on “The New Job and Position Planning Handbook,” Atkins & Katcher
Edited and Modernized by Hany Elawadly – Global Life Orientations Lead, 2025
Introduction: Why the First 90 Days Matter
“Your first 90 days don’t define you — they align you.”
Stepping into a new leadership role can feel overwhelming. Expectations rise quickly.
People observe your decisions closely.
And the pressure to “prove yourself” can push leaders into reactive behavior.
But the most successful leaders aren’t defined by sudden moves or dramatic changes.
They succeed because they adapt their behavioral orientation early, staying authentic while learning the culture around them.
This is where the LIFO® Method becomes a strategic advantage.
The LIFO® Lens for the First 90 Days
The LIFO® Method helps leaders understand:
- Their natural strengths
- How these strengths appear under pressure
- How to adapt behavior for different environments
- Who to partner with for balance and impact
Your first 90 days become not just onboarding — but alignment, accuracy, and acceleration.
Phase 1: Confirming – Understand What’s Working
Before making changes, effective leaders first observe, confirm, and learn.
What to do in this phase:
- Study the existing team culture
- Identify strong practices and processes
- Understand past successes and failures
- Ask: “What deserves to stay?”
Why it matters:
This builds trust, especially with Conserving.Holding and Supporting.Giving types.
You show respect for the team’s history rather than imposing your own.
Leadership question:
What strengths already exist here that I should protect?
Phase 2: Capitalizing – Build Quick Wins
Once you understand the landscape, it’s time to create early momentum.
Actions:
- Use your natural strengths strategically
- Focus on visible, achievable improvements
- Demonstrate competence without overwhelming the system
How each style capitalizes:
- Controlling.Taking: Set direction → deliver results
- Supporting.Giving: Build relationships → increase engagement
- Conserving.Holding: Improve processes → create stability
- Adapting.Dealing: Connect people → improve communication
Leadership question:
What early wins will build credibility?
Phase 3: Moderating – Regulate Overused Strengths
Around month two, pressure rises — and strengths can become liabilities if overdone.
Examples:
- Too much Supporting.Giving → avoidance of conflict
- Too much Controlling.Taking → micromanagement
- Too much Conserving.Holding → paralysis
- Too much Adapting.Dealing → inconsistency
What to do:
- Notice when your behavior shifts from helpful to excessive
- Adjust energy and pace
- Ask for feedback from peers
Leadership question:
Which of my strengths am I overusing under stress?
Phase 4: Supplementing – Partner Strategically
Great leaders know when to lean on others.
Actions:
- Identify teammates who balance your orientation
- Build complementary partnerships
- Delegate based on strengths, not just roles
Example:
- A Controlling.Taking leader pairs well with a Supporting.Giving colleague
- A Conserving.Holding leader partners well with an Adapting.Dealing innovator
Leadership question:
Who balances me best — and how can we amplify each other?
Phase 5: Extending & Bridging – Grow Across Boundaries
By now, you move beyond adaptation and start shaping the role.
Extending:
- Apply new behaviors
- Strengthen less-preferred styles
- Stretch your leadership identity
Bridging:
- Connect across functions
- Influence beyond your own team
- Navigate different orientation cultures
This phase transforms you from a new leader into a trusted, integrated force in the organization.
Leadership question:
How can I lead in a way that connects people, teams, and orientations?
90 Days, Six Strategies, One Mindset
The LIFO® Method transforms the “first 90 days” into a journey of self-awareness.
It’s not about proving yourself; it’s about aligning your strengths with the needs of your new environment.
And that’s how leaders thrive — not just survive.
Based on “The New Job and Position Planning Handbook,” modernized by Hany Elawadly – Global Life Orientations Lead, 2025.
Learn more about the LIFO® Method here: https://lifo.bconglobal.com