New Leaders, No Safety Net

Leadership transitions are difficult even when conditions are stable. Failure rates hover around 40%, and most executives take at least six months to reach full productivity. In a crisis marked by remote work, compressed timelines, and constant uncertainty, those odds deteriorate quickly. Organizations that rely on traditional onboarding approaches are effectively increasing the likelihood of executive failure.

Crisis-era transitions require a fundamentally different approach. Expectations are higher, information is harder to access, and the room for error is smaller. What follows is a reframed look at the most common breakdowns in executive onboarding during periods of disruption, and what organizations must do differently if they want new leaders to succeed.

Onboarding Must Begin Before Day One

Virtual onboarding is not a digital version of in-person onboarding. It removes informal learning, spontaneous exposure, and the situational awareness leaders typically gain by being physically present. When onboarding design begins after an offer is accepted, the organization has already lost critical time.

Effective onboarding in a crisis starts during the interview process. Organizations should be clear about what the executive will need to accomplish early, which relationships matter most, and where early credibility can be built. Experiences that once happened naturally, including site visits, hallway conversations, and observing team dynamics, must be deliberately redesigned. Without that planning, onboarding becomes fragmented and shallow.

Access to Insight Is More Important Than Access to Information

Most organizations can provide documentation, reports, and presentations. What new leaders actually need, however, is insight into how decisions get made, where power sits, and what problems are real versus performative. That insight normally comes from people, not files.

To compensate for limited informal access, organizations must intentionally surround new executives with a defined support network. This network should include their manager, key peers, trusted direct reports, and a senior HR or communications partner who understands the organization's internal dynamics. Each participant must understand their responsibility in accelerating the executive's understanding of the business. A detailed stakeholder map, one that outlines influence, risks, and historical context, can dramatically reduce missteps during the early months.

Relationship Building Does Not Happen Automatically Online

Trust and rapport are harder to establish when interactions are scheduled, transactional, and mediated by screens. Leaders who rely on physical presence and in-room dynamics often find it difficult to project confidence and authenticity in remote environments.

Organizations can ease this by prioritizing virtual face-to-face interaction over phone calls and by helping new leaders structure their early conversations. Providing thoughtful prompts and encouraging leaders to move beyond immediate operational issues allows relationships to form more quickly. Messaging and communication plans should be reviewed and tested with the executive's support network, especially ahead of high-stakes meetings. Without this focus, leaders risk being perceived as distant or purely tactical.

Faster Decisions With Less Context Increase Risk

During crises, decisions accelerate. New executives are expected to act quickly while lacking historical knowledge and internal perspective. This mismatch creates stress and increases the likelihood of costly errors.

Organizations should respond by proactively supplying context. A clear, current snapshot of the business, including risks, financial realities, and strategic trade-offs, helps leaders make informed decisions sooner. It is also important to openly acknowledge the constraints they are operating under. Aligning on priorities before the executive formally starts, and absorbing some of the early information-gathering burden, reduces unnecessary pressure and improves decision quality.

Opportunities to Prove Value May Be Limited

In some organizations, crisis conditions slow everything down. Initiatives stall, investments pause, and decision-making becomes conservative. For new executives, this lack of visible progress can be deeply unsettling.

Leaders and boards should openly discuss this dynamic rather than ignoring it. Transition plans must reflect what is realistically achievable, not what would have been possible under normal conditions. Establishing phased performance scorecards over the first year helps maintain momentum and confidence while acknowledging external constraints. Without recalibrated expectations, frustration builds quickly.

Evaluating Teams in Crisis Produces Distorted Signals

One of a new leader's most important tasks is assessing their team. In a remote, high-stress environment, performance signals are unreliable. Some individuals excel under pressure, while others struggle temporarily despite strong underlying capability.

Organizations can reduce misjudgments by sharing historical performance data and connecting new leaders with credible internal sources who can provide context. Expectations should be reset early and communicated clearly, with the understanding that performance observed during crisis conditions may not reflect long-term potential. Continuous dialogue is essential to avoid premature conclusions.

Isolation Is a Hidden Threat to Success

Leadership is isolating under normal circumstances. For new executives working remotely, that isolation intensifies. They lack informal networks, trusted peers, and a clear sense of how the organization truly operates.

Organizations should counter this deliberately by keeping new leaders actively engaged from the outset. Early involvement in substantive work builds connection and relevance. Establishing a structured buddy system, with someone senior, a peer, and a direct report, creates multiple access points for support and perspective. Isolation rarely announces itself, but it is a major driver of executive failure.

What This Means Going Forward

Executive transitions during crises carry higher risk, but they also shape the organization's recovery. Leaders brought in or promoted during these periods will define what comes next. Organizations that invest in intentional onboarding, real support, and honest expectation-setting dramatically improve the odds that these leaders will not only survive the transition, but emerge positioned to lead through and beyond the disruption.

Anything less is simply hoping for the best.