Nonprofit Leadership Podcast Summary

Episode: Why a Leader’s First 90 Days Set the Tone for Long-Term Success
Host: Dr. Rob Harter
Guests: Curt Mosley & Neil Marshall (Veteran Healthcare Executive Recruiters)
Date: October 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores why a leader’s first 90 days are crucial in setting the culture, credibility, and trajectory for long-term organizational success—especially in nonprofit and healthcare sectors. Dr. Rob Harter is joined by Curt Mosley and Neil Marshall, seasoned executive recruiters who've interviewed and placed thousands of healthcare leaders. They share stories, practical advice, and research-backed strategies for making the most of the "first 90 days," highlighting common pitfalls and powerful ways to build trust, navigate culture, and win support quickly.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of the "90 Day Series"

[02:49]

• Mosley and Marshall started the 90 Day Series after discovering, through interviews with thousands of executives, that few had an intentional 90-day plan, despite the critical impact this early period has on a leader’s success.
  • Quote (Marshall, 02:56): “What struck us as we looked into this is how many careers and how many organizations are made or broken in those first three months.”
• The goal is to help future leaders avoid early missteps and to give them a playbook for successful transitions.

2. Biggest Pitfalls for New Leaders

[04:14]

• Moving too fast: Trying to change things before fully understanding them, or restructuring before listening to staff.
  • Quote (Curt, 04:15): “Be quick but don’t hurry.” (John Wooden)
• Ignoring ‘sacred cows’: Dismissing or changing longstanding team members or traditions without context can cause lasting damage.
• Misreading or trying to fix culture before understanding it: Culture is inherited, not instantly remade. Failing to grasp it undermines credibility.

3. The Paramount Importance of Listening

[05:32]

• Listening is consistently cited as the top skill for incoming leaders.
  • Quote (Curt, 05:43): “Listening is the start of the playbook.”
• Actively listen to everyone—board, doctors, support staff, and external community—for a full organizational perspective before acting.

4. Forging External Relationships Early

[06:07]

• Success depends on connections beyond the organization—doctors, donors, regulators, politicians, community leaders.
• Early engagement (e.g. visiting local churches, civic groups) establishes trust and visibility before any major initiative.
  • Quote (Marshall, 07:10): “Dig your well before you’re thirsty. Build your relationships before you need them.”

5. Unconventional but Effective Approaches in the First 90 Days

[07:36]

• Immersive leadership: Executives living on site (e.g., Richard Parks moved into the hospital for 90 days—acted immediately on insights from staff).
  • Quote (Marshall, 07:58): “No, I move into the hospital. I live there for the first 90 days.”
• Leading by example: A new president picked up trash in the parking lot his first day—sent a clear message about expectations.
• Interviewing every staff leader: “If we are successful in 90 days, what will be different?” (Robinson at Kaiser)
• Culture of small improvements: Shane Cerone’s philosophy—success is about “a hundred small things” done quickly.

6. The “25-50-25 Rule” of Staff Alignment

[10:19]

• Breakdown: 25% on board from day one; 50% on the fence; 25% resistors.
  • Focus on winning over the middle 50%, listen to resistors but don’t dwell on them.
  • Quote (Curt, 10:19): "Win the middle. The middle 50% to come up and get in that upper 25%..."

7. Culture as the Invisible Infrastructure

[12:06]

• Ignoring culture is a recipe for disaster—most leaders don’t fail for lack of skill, but for failing to understand or respect culture.
  • Quote (Curt, 12:08): “Culture is an invisible infrastructure and it either accelerates or undermines every strategic initiative… Culture is really the multiplier.”
• Early symbolic actions shape culture for years to come.

8. Recovery from a Failed First 90 Days

[13:46]

• Recovery is possible but much harder. The only unrecoverable stumbling block for a nonprofit hospital CEO is a "no confidence" vote from doctors.
  • Quote (Marshall, 13:50): “...better that you don’t have to.”

9. Recruitment and Hiring: Culture Fit vs. Competency

[15:15]

• Competency gets you in the door; culture fit and chemistry ensure long-term success.
• Resume and skills matter, but shared values and passion are what prevent early exits.
  • Quote (Marshall, 15:52): “Technical excellence without cultural alignment almost always fails.”

10. Traits of Successful Leaders in Early Transition

[18:08]

• Listening before leading
• Visibility and presence: Walking the halls, engaging all staff levels.
• Humility and curiosity: More questions than answers; visibly consistent actions.
• Patience: Sometimes, doing nothing is better than the wrong thing.
  • Quote (Marshall, 19:32): “Sometimes it’s better to do nothing than successfully implementing the wrong thing.”

11. Matching Actions to Words

[19:38]

• Staff observe new leaders intently; inconsistencies between what is said and done erode trust rapidly.
  • Quote (Curt, 19:41): “You can’t talk your way out of something you behave yourself into.”

12. Owning Mistakes and Apologizing Quickly

[23:33]

• Demonstrating humility and openly taking responsibility for mistakes builds trust and credibility.
  • Quote (Curt, 23:33): “It’s paramount… humility, really. Again, the first 90 days, because you’re not going to know everything.”

13. The Board's Role in Successful Transitions

[24:17]

• Boards should give new leaders space to listen, clarify organizational priorities, and help them avoid “sacred cows” and landmines.
• Setting up early, achievable wins for the new leader is vital.
  • Quote (Marshall, 25:13): “…don’t expect a new CEO to solve a problem immediately that has plagued the organization for the last 10 years.”

14. Balancing Change and Fresh Perspective

[26:36], [27:35]

• New leaders must balance acting on their fresh perspective and observing before making changes.
• If immediate action is needed (e.g., safety/security), leaders must act quickly.
  • Quote (Curt, 28:16): “If it’s something immediate like that, you have to take action.”

15. Change Happens at the Speed of Trust

[29:00]

• The foundation for any substantive change is the staff’s trust in their leader.
  • Quote (Marshall, 29:37): “If your people don’t trust you, you’re not going to be able to get anything done.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Be quick but don’t hurry.” (John Wooden, quoted by Curt, 04:15)
• “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” (Marshall, 07:10)
• “It’s not one thing. It’s a hundred small things.” (Shane Cerone, as cited by Marshall, 09:44)
• “You can’t talk your way out of something you behave yourself into.” (Curt, 19:41)
• “Technical excellence without cultural alignment almost always fails.” (Marshall, 15:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:49 – The origin and purpose of the 90 Day Series
• 04:15 – Common pitfalls in the first 90 days
• 05:43 – The primacy of listening for new leaders
• 06:21 – The importance of external community relationships
• 07:36 – Unconventional success stories from healthcare leaders
• 10:19 – The 25-50-25 rule for staff alignment
• 12:06 – The true impact and function of culture
• 15:15 – Culture fit versus competence in hiring
• 18:08 – Characteristics of successful new leaders
• 19:38 – Observational power of staff: matching words and actions
• 23:33 – Apologizing and owning mistakes builds trust
• 24:17 – How boards and search committees support successful transitions
• 26:36 – Balancing early changes with patience and trust-building
• 29:00 – “Change happens at the speed of trust”
• 30:31 – Where to connect with Curt, Neil, and the 90 Day Series

Closing

Mosley and Marshall emphasize that the first 90 days are not simply a transition period—they are foundational to leadership success, especially in nonprofits and healthcare. Their practical advice, notable examples, and deep research point all leaders (and boards) toward patience, relationship-building, cultural curiosity, and authenticity.

Find more at: healthsearchpartners.com, or connect via LinkedIn.

Compiled to capture the tone, expertise, and actionable insights from the episode, providing a comprehensive resource for nonprofit leaders and executives planning their next transition.