I have noticed that when I have walked through the door as a new leader there is a lot of pressure to make decisions quickly.

Everyone is watching.
Everyone is waiting.
And everyone seems to have a list.

Some of those lists are full of real, time-sensitive decisions. When there’s been a leadership gap, it’s not uncommon for things to get delayed. Teams need the new CEO or Executive Director to come in and make the call on some of the bottled up activities.

But then there’s the second tier.

The wish lists.
The pet projects.
The “now that you’re here…” ideas that have been lingering in the background, waiting for their moment.

Some of these are earnest and thoughtful. Others have been circulating for years without traction. Some carry the weight of hidden politics or old wounds. They may come from staff, board members, or partners who each hope the new leader will finally take up their cause.

And that’s when the pressure to prove yourself kicks in.

It’s tempting to show responsiveness by saying yes.
It’s tempting to show decisiveness by taking action.
It’s tempting to win people over by fixing what they felt wasn’t working.

But early leadership isn’t about proving you can move fast. It’s about proving you can listen, discern, and prioritize.

When I’m onboarding into a new role, I’ve learned to slow the pace of decision-making just enough to observe what’s really going on. When I joined a previous organization one of the earliest conversations I had was with a team member who had been promised a promotion by the former leader as he was heading out the door. They wanted me to follow through on a promise. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but I also didn’t know much about them or the team structures that I needed to put into place. I had to tell them no – for now, but I gave them a timeline for when I expected to make personnel decisions.

You can still make early moves. But do it with context. Ask why certain ideas have stalled in the past. If a proposal looks obvious on day two, but hasn’t been implemented in five years then there’s probably more to the story.

Being a good leader isn’t about being universally agreeable. It’s about staying grounded in the mission and moving the organization forward with clarity. Sometimes that means holding space for decisions to unfold more slowly. Sometimes it means letting people feel heard without immediately taking action.

You don’t have to prove yourself on day one.
You’ll have plenty of time to demonstrate your value, through the thoughtful decisions you make, and the ones you choose to delay.