Why 1 in 3 Executive Transitions Struggle
Research shows around 30% of new executives struggle in their first 18 months (Spencer Stuart).
Leadership transitions are celebrated publicly but under-supported privately. Executive transitions rarely falter because of capability alone. They place immediate demands on judgement, relationships, alignment and influence – often before a new leader has fully understood the environment they have stepped into.
The gap: New leaders face immediate expectations to deliver results, influence unfamiliar stakeholders, and drive culture – all while stabilising their own foundations. Without structured support, even exceptional talent can derail.
That’s where Root-to-Result® Transition Coaching helps – providing structured support when the expectations are high and the margin for misjudgement can be small.
The Solution - Root-to-Result® Transition Coaching
Root-to-Result® provides a structured way to identify what will matter most in the new role – and what could get in the way of delivering it.
For executive transitions, that means starting with the outcomes expected of the leader, then working beneath them to understand the relationships, assumptions, behaviours and organisational dynamics that will determine success. It creates a confidential, commercially grounded space to make sense of the new environment, build credibility and turn insight into focused action.
Outcomes & Intent
Ethical Foundation
Beliefs & Mindset
Habits & Behaviour
Application & Influence
Tangible, Aligned Outcomes
The Root-to-Result® Framework Applied to Transitions:
1 Fruit
Outcomes & Intent
Define what success needs to look likeWe begin with the outcome – not as the end-point, but as a strategic compass. The true aim often emerges through the work. This stage defines what success looks like for you. Whether it’s sharper strategic influence with boards, greater clarity in ambiguity, or a reset in leadership presence during transformation, this phase ensures your direction is intentional, not assumed.
Strategic Intent: Without a clearly defined destination, leadership becomes reactive. This stage ensures purpose anchors your leadership decisions from the start.
2 Soil
Ethical Foundation
Anchor values before pressure hitsThis is your moral and ethical ground. We examine your guiding principles – not just aspirational language, but what holds under pressure. Here, we define the kind of leader you want to be and the environment you’re committed to shaping.
Moral Grounding: Provide stability by clarifying values, leadership purpose and intent. Especially vital when facing ambiguity, scrutiny, or stakeholder pressure.
3 Roots
Beliefs & Mindset
Surface limiting beliefs earlyWhat beliefs do you hold about yourself, others, and leadership?
Here, we surface the assumptions, stories, inner narratives, or mental shortcuts that shape how you lead.
Some are strengths. Others are inherited or outdated.This phase gives you space to reflect on what’s helping, what’s limiting, and what’s ready to evolve.
Unconscious Drivers: Leaders don’t lead from action alone, they lead from belief. Unexamined mindsets silently drive behavior. This phase brings them into view.
4 Trunk
Habits & Behaviour
Establish visible, credible behavioursWe translate your drivers into visible, repeatable behaviours.
The trunk represents how you show up – consistently and credibly.
We identify your patterns, reinforce strengths, and shift what no longer serves your goals.Tools such as CliftonStrengths® or 360-degree feedback may be used where relevant.
Leadership Embodiment: Leaders are watched in moments but measured over time. Aligning beliefs with consistent action builds credibility, trust, and resilience. It’s about turning intention into presence – real, repeatable, and rooted in who you are.
5 Branches
Application & Influence
Extend influence across stakeholders and teamsIntent without influence stays internal. This phase ensures your insight becomes visible, relational, and strategic.
We explore how you communicate, influence, and lead at scale – across systems, teams, and stakeholders. Then, we refine how you present yourself in high-stakes moments: boardrooms, pivots, transitions, and change.
Scaled impact: Strengthen how you influence, lead through others, and extend your leadership reach with precision and presence.
6 Return to Fruit
Tangible, Aligned Outcomes
Measure early impact and recalibrateWe revisit your original goal – which may have evolved or need refining based on what emerged. This isn’t about temporary success, it’s about whether the growth is real, repeatable, and rooted in who you are.
Sustainable Integration: Results are built on alignment – not effort alone. This step ensures your outcomes reflect your leadership identity.
Why Structured Transition Support Works
Root-to-Result® provides a structured framework and confidential thinking space to help leaders navigate the risks, relationships and expectations that can determine whether a transition gains momentum or starts to stall.
- 30% of new executives struggle within their first 18 months(Spencer Stuart)
- 27–46% of executive transitions are regarded as failures or disappointments within two years(McKinsey)
- 70% of C-Suite leaders report burnout risk, often heightened during transitions(Deloitte, 2022)
- Failed transitions can cost up to 10× an executive’s salary(Lucent / Corporate Executive Board)
Who This Is For
- Boards and investors sponsoring critical C-Suite appointments who want to de-risk leadership investments
- Newly appointed executives stepping into C-suite or other significant senior leadership roles
- Internal promotions into significantly different leadership cultures
- External hires navigating new organisational dynamics
- Leaders in high-stakes moments such as mergers, turnarounds, or rapid growth phases
Led by Experience,
Not Just Theory
Craig Pattison is an EMCC-accredited Executive Coach with extensive experience in executive and senior leadership roles, including responsibility for People, Technology and organisational transformation.
More about Craig- Commercial perspective shaped by extensive executive and senior leadership experience
- First-hand experience of leading through complexity, change and organisational pressure
- A structured methodology through the Root-to-Result® framework
- A confidential space to think clearly, test assumptions and confront what may be getting in the way
Give Your Next Executive Transition the Best Possible Start
Structured support gives leaders dedicated space to navigate the expectations, relationships and decisions that matter most in the critical early months.
The investment is small relative to the organisational cost of a senior appointment that fails to deliver.
Investment & Engagement
- 6–8 sessions across the first 90 days, timed to critical moments
- Additional support between sessions where agreed, such as brief check-ins or feedback.
- Optional stakeholder tools such as 360 feedback or psychometrics where relevant
- Always delivered confidentially and aligned to EMCC standards
- Executive Leadership Experience
- Commercial & Organisational Perspective
- Confidential
Constructively Challenging
Evidence-Based