First-Time CEOs Are the Pressure Point

Expectations are rising faster than preparation.

The onboarding period for new CEOs is getting shorter. Many are expected to make major decisions early in their tenure while still earning confidence across the organization.

Nonetheless, most first-time CEOs feel prepared to move quickly, especially around technology and transformation. However, the boards who hired them are less certain.

Boards expect more for less

On average, only 15% of boards believe they did a very strong job preparing their first-time CEO, despite some variation by industry. As leadership transitions accelerate, preparation hasn't kept pace with the expectations placed on new leaders.

Boards that said their organization did a very strong job preparing its first-time CEO, by industry

---

The hardest part is knowing where to start

More than half of first-time CEOs say balancing their time and energy is one of the hardest parts of the role. Success depends not on doing more, but on knowing where to focus first.

Respondents who identified balancing time and energy as one of the biggest challenges for first-time CEOs, by respondent group

"The CEO role has become more exposed. Leaders have less time to build trust with boards, employees, and investors before they're called on to make decisions that can shape the future of the business."
Dominic Schofield, chair, Board & CEO Services UK, Korn Ferry

Organizations need stronger support systems for CEOs, especially first-timers, during transition periods. Success increasingly depends on helping new leaders make the right decisions before they have the benefit of time and experience.

Same Risks, Different Confidence

Agreement on risk doesn’t mean agreement on readiness.

Boards and CEOs largely agree on the risks organizations face in 2026 and beyond. But there's a divide in how confident they feel managing them.

Across nearly every category tied to transformation and future workforce change, boards reported lower confidence levels than CEOs.

Confidence in managing future talent needs

Half of all CEOs surveyed are confident their organization can manage future talent and skills challenges. Boards are less confident, suggesting they see greater talent and skills challenges ahead.

Respondents confident in their organization's ability to manage talent and skills risk, by respondent group

Boards and CEOs approach transformation risk from different positions. CEOs are often closer to execution pressure and operational urgency. Boards are balancing continuity, governance exposure, and longer-term organizational resilience.

The confidence gap even shapes how boards and CEOs assess the organization itself. Those different perspectives may also influence succession decisions.

Same challenges, but different perspectives

CEOs tend to view the organizations they inherit more positively than boards do, suggesting leadership transitions often begin with different assumptions about the challenge ahead.

Respondents who rated their organization's operating performance positively, by respondent group

Playing It Safe Can Be Risky

Looking back on their most recent CEO appointment, 50% of boards say they played it too safe, falling back on what’s worked before instead of what may transform the company now. When the need for agility is high, avoiding risk in succession decisions may carry risks of its own.

“Boards are nervous, but leaders feel ready for the challenge.”
Jane Edison Stevenson, global vice chair, Board & CEO Services, Korn Ferry

Differences in confidence shape how quickly organizations move and how much risk boards are willing to support during periods of transition.

Trust Has to Form Faster

There's no time for boards and CEOs to ease into the relationship.

Leadership transition often begins before trust is fully established between boards and new CEOs. Many leaders are tasked with making major strategic decisions in the early days, while they’re still learning about the business.

Trust doesn't arrive on day one

Most boards (83%) are confident in their first-time CEO's ability to lead. But just 10% say that their CEO is already fully connected to and trusted by the board. As leadership transitions accelerate, trust has become one of the last things to arrive.

Respondents who said their first-time CEO is fully connected to and trusted by the board, by respondent group

Boards trust a new CEO’s capability before they fully trust how that leader operates under pressure.

Trust affects how quickly organizations move and how effectively boards and CEOs make decisions together during periods of change.

“Boards need to know the person, not just the experience. They need to make a deliberate effort to understand how a leader makes decisions, builds trust, and operates under pressure."
Tierney Remick, co-leader, Board & CEO Services, Korn Ferry

Successful leadership transition increasingly depends not only on choosing the right CEO, but also on helping boards and leaders build trust quickly enough to move the organization forward together.

‍

Keep Momentum Through Transition

Leadership transition is becoming part of how organizations adapt to change.

Boards are changing leaders more proactively, and first-time CEOs are stepping into roles shaped by higher expectations, faster decisions, and greater visibility.

The challenge is no longer simply choosing the right leader. Organizations also need to maintain trust, continuity, and momentum while leadership itself is evolving.

The best organizations get stronger through change

A majority of boards and CEOs say leadership change has strengthened their organization's ability to manage risk. And 61% say board turnover has brought new strengths into the organization. Rather than disrupting performance, successful transitions can improve resilience when supported by the right governance and leadership practices.

Respondents who said their organization's most recent CEO transition strengthened its ability to manage risk, by respondent group

The organizations adapting best aren't the ones avoiding leadership transition. They’re the ones building systems, relationships, and governance practices that help leaders become effective more quickly.

Leadership change is becoming easier to trigger. Helping new leaders become effective faster will define the organizations that adapt best.