---
title: "Listen While You Lead"
id: "45552"
type: "post"
slug: "listen-while-you-lead"
published_at: "2019-02-01T08:50:28+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-16T23:35:17+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/listen-while-you-lead/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2019/02/01/listen-while-you-lead.md"
excerpt: "When a new CEO sits in the executive chair for the first time, listening is a top priority. In her e-book CEOs’ First 90 Days, executive coach Cynthia Mills, FASAE, CAE, outlines three actions to take in the first month..."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Executive Leadership"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "API Management"
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "C-suite"
  - "Leadership"
  - "New CEO"
  - "organization goals"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

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 » Listen While You Lead

### Day 1: Schedule Meetings

Identify key players, including volunteer members, senior staff, and strategic partners, then schedule “getting to know you” meetings. Your goal should be to meet with everyone within two months of your arrival.

### Week 1: Review Key Documents

Set aside time to review business and process documents—codes of ethics, strategic plans, succession plans, financial statements, multiyear budgets, and tax returns. Pinpoint any issues and be sure to raise them promptly with your board.

### Month 1: Survey Employees

This is a chance to receive honest feedback. About a month after your arrival, ask questions like: Why do you love coming to work? What’s one thing you would change here? How does the future of the organization look to you?

[Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tags: [#API Management](https://associationsnow.com/tag/api-management/)
 [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/)
 [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/)
 [#New CEO](https://associationsnow.com/tag/new-ceo/)
 [#organization goals](https://associationsnow.com/tag/organization-goals/)

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