Why your first weeks in a senior role feel weird
Readtime: 3 minutes
Before we start… if you’re mid-career and trying to work out what you should do next, my flagship course, Atomic Ambition, is guaranteed to help you. Join other successful, senior people who have landed new roles or started new businesses as a result of Atomic Ambition.
Now, on to today’s edition…
When you land a new senior role, everyone celebrates.
The announcement goes out.
Your inbox fills with “👏 Congrats!” and “🎉 Best of luck!”
You get the LinkedIn likes, the texts, maybe even a bottle of Champagne.
And then… silence.
Because once the celebration dies down, something else begins:
The quiet, emotional, internal work of actually starting.
And if you’re stepping into a new role mid-career, that transition is rarely as smooth as people imagine.
What People Think It’s Like
Walk in with instant authority
Build your dream team
Apply everything you’ve learned
Feel energised and in control
Lead with confidence
Make your mark
Sounds great, right?
But here’s what it often actually feels like:
Decode the real power structures (and realise the org chart won’t help)
Prove yourself – even if you’re more experienced than half the exec team
Catch yourself comparing everything to your last job
Navigate unspoken rules you didn’t grow up with
Lead a team who doesn’t know your strengths yet
Wonder at 2am if you made the wrong choice
It feels like you’re starting from scratch – but with more pressure and less time.
The Emotional Load People Don’t Talk About
It’s not just the job.
It’s the emotional gymnastics of trying to:
– Lead with gravitas
– Learn an unfamiliar culture
– Read between the lines
– Avoid stepping on toes
– Still feel like you
It’s holding your standards while adjusting your pace.
It’s thinking, “They hired me to make a difference... but how do I do that without breaking everything?”
So What Actually Helps?
Here are a few habits I’ve seen help smart people hit the ground with more confidence and less self-doubt:
✅ Ask before assuming – clarity beats confidence
✅ Listen before leading – even when you’re itching to start
✅ Find small wins – early signals of value build trust
✅ Learn the culture before you try to ‘fix’ it
✅ Stay curious longer than feels comfortable
The best leaders don’t try to prove everything in the first 90 days.
They pace themselves.
They pay attention.
They show respect without losing edge.
And that’s what builds influence that lasts.
In Summary
Landing the role is only part of the story.
Starting well is the harder bit.
Especially mid-career, when people expect you to already know everything.
So if you’ve recently stepped into a new position – or are thinking about it – remember:
– It’s OK to feel off balance at the start
– You can be smart and uncertain
– You don’t need to fix everything immediately
– Influence comes from earned trust
You’re not failing.
You’re just in the part of the story no one sees.
On a Personal Note
I’ve worked with plenty of ambitious professionals who’ve stepped into new roles thinking: “This is the next big move.”
And then, a few weeks in, they quietly admit: “This is harder than I expected.”
Not because they’re underqualified.
But because it’s a different kind of challenge: emotional, relational, internal.
I’ve been there in my various roles at KPMG, particularly when I was new into my COO and Head of People roles. More recently, I’ve felt it in advising a Board Committee at a FTSE 250 company, and taking on a non-executive role at an insurance company.
It’s easy to feel like you should already know how to lead in a new role.
But the truth is: every new role is a fresh test of how well you can listen, adapt, and design your leadership.
One Quote to Get You Going
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
That’s all for today.
See you in a couple of weeks,
Mostyn
P.S. Want to make your next chapter fit you better?
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