Michael Watkins Books
Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School and co-founder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy.
Known for: The First 90 Days
Books by Michael Watkins
The First 90 Days
The First 90 Days is a practical leadership guide about one of the most dangerous and decisive moments in any career: stepping into a new role. Michael Watkins argues that transitions are not passive events to be endured but strategic opportunities to be managed. Whether you are becoming a first-time manager, taking over a struggling team, moving into a bigger executive role, or joining a new company, your earliest choices shape your credibility, momentum, and long-term results. The book shows how to learn faster, avoid predictable mistakes, build trust with your boss and team, and deliver early progress without rushing blindly into action. Its central insight is simple but powerful: leaders who approach transitions systematically dramatically improve their odds of success. Watkins writes with unusual authority. As a professor of leadership and organizational change and a trusted adviser to senior executives, he combines research, real-world cases, and highly actionable frameworks. That is why this book has become a modern classic for managers and executives who want to lead well from day one.
Read SummaryKey Insights from Michael Watkins
Promote Yourself Into Real Leadership
A new role does not just change your responsibilities; it demands a new identity. One of Watkins’s most important insights is that many capable professionals fail in transitions because they keep solving the wrong problem. They continue to act like star individual contributors when the job now requi...
From The First 90 Days
Accelerate Learning Before You Start Changing
In transitions, the leaders who look decisive too early often become decisively wrong. Watkins emphasizes that learning is your first strategic responsibility. Before you can improve performance, you need a fast, structured understanding of the organization’s business, culture, systems, and politics...
From The First 90 Days
Match Strategy To The STARS Situation
Not all transitions are created equal. A leader entering a thriving business needs a different playbook than one inheriting a crisis. Watkins’s STARS model helps diagnose the situation so you can match your actions to reality rather than to your preferences. The five situations are Startup, Turnarou...
From The First 90 Days
Secure Early Wins Without Chasing Vanity
Early wins matter because organizations are always judging whether a new leader can deliver. But Watkins makes an important distinction: not every quick result is a meaningful win. Smart early wins are visible, relevant, and connected to the broader business challenge. They build credibility, create...
From The First 90 Days
Negotiate Success With Your Boss Early
Few factors influence transition success more than the relationship with your boss. Watkins argues that new leaders often assume expectations are obvious when in fact they are vague, conflicting, or incomplete. The result is avoidable disappointment. To succeed, you must actively negotiate success r...
From The First 90 Days
Align The Organization Around Execution
Leadership transitions are not only about people; they are also about fit. Watkins stresses that performance depends on alignment among strategy, structure, systems, skills, and culture. When these elements pull in different directions, even talented teams struggle. New leaders must therefore look b...
From The First 90 Days
About Michael Watkins
Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School and co-founder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy. He is recognized as an expert in leadership transitions and has authored several influential books on management and organization...
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Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School and co-founder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy. He is recognized as an expert in leadership transitions and has authored several influential books on management and organization...
Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School and co-founder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy. He is recognized as an expert in leadership transitions and has authored several influential books on management and organizational strategy.
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Michael D. Watkins is a professor of leadership and organizational change at IMD Business School and co-founder of Genesis Advisers, a leadership development consultancy.
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