Strategy
Understand the business before changing the business.
Interactive WorkbookFirst 90 Days for Event Leaders
Not saved yet
← All Resources
Free Guide · Leadership Roadmap
The First 90 Days for Event Leaders.
A practical roadmap for building trust, strategy, and momentum.
Extraordinary events begin with extraordinary leaders. This workbook helps you learn, listen, and lead — in the right order.
Interactive workbook — fill it out in your browser. Your progress is saved automatically. Use Download PDF at the top to save a copy, or Reset to start over.
By Sara Straw · Interactive workbook · Auto-saves to your browser · Download as PDF
Welcome
Congratulations on your new leadership role.
Whether you've been promoted internally or joined a new organization, your first 90 days will shape your credibility, relationships, and long-term success.
Many new leaders feel pressure to prove themselves immediately. They jump into solving problems before fully understanding why those problems exist.
The strongest leaders take a different approach. They spend their first 90 days learning, listening, building relationships, and developing a thoughtful strategy before making significant changes.
Rather than focusing solely on event execution, this workbook focuses on leadership — because extraordinary events begin with extraordinary leaders.
How to Use This Guide
Built on the S.A.S. Framework
Alignment
Build trust and relationships across the organization.
Scale
Create systems that allow great work to happen consistently.
Days 1–30
Learn
Days 31–60
Build
Days 61–90
Lead
Days 1–30
Learn Before You Lead
Your job isn't to fix everything. Your job is to understand everything.
Your Goals
Stakeholder Map
Schedule introductory meetings with:
Questions to Ask Every Stakeholder
Instead of telling people your ideas… ask questions.
- —What business objectives matter most this year?
- —Which events create the most value?
- —What frustrates you most about our current programs?
- —Where do you think we're wasting time?
- —What should never change?
- —If you could fix one thing tomorrow, what would it be?
- —What does success look like to you?
Learn the Event Portfolio
Document every event.
| Event | Owner | Audience | Budget | Objective | KPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Budget Review
Understand before you optimize.
Technology Assessment
Inventory every platform. Rate each Excellent / Good / Needs Improvement / Replace.
| Platform | Excellent | Good | Needs Improvement | Replace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | ||||
| CRM | ||||
| Mobile App | ||||
| Website | ||||
| Email Platform | ||||
| Project Management | ||||
| Budget Tracking | ||||
| Lead Retrieval | ||||
| Reporting | ||||
| AI Tools |
Quick Reflection
Days 31–60
Build Your Strategy
Now it's time to connect what you've learned. This is where leadership begins.
Define the Business Strategy
Before planning another event, answer:
- —Why does this event exist?
- —What business problem does it solve?
- —Who is it designed for?
- —How will success be measured?
If you can't answer these questions… neither can your team.
Event Portfolio Assessment
For every event, ask:
Decision
Quick Wins Worksheet
Identify improvements that can happen immediately.
Communication
Planning
Technology
Leadership
Executive Relationships
Identify your most important relationships.
| Person | Role | Priority | Meeting Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
AI Opportunity Assessment
Where could AI create immediate value?
Days 61–90
Lead with Confidence
You now understand the organization. It's time to begin influencing it.
Build Your Executive Dashboard
Track what leadership actually cares about.
Leadership Priorities
Choose your Top 5 priorities.
Your 12-Month Roadmap
Quarter 1
Major Initiatives
Quarter 2
Major Initiatives
Quarter 3
Major Initiatives
Quarter 4
Major Initiatives
Executive Presentation Outline
Present your first recommendations.
Build Repeatable Systems
Strong organizations don't rely on memory. They rely on systems.
Personal Leadership Plan
Leadership isn't just about your team. It's about you.
What leadership skills do you want to strengthen?
Your First 90-Day Checklist
A month-by-month roadmap.
Month One
Month Two
Month Three
Appendix A
30 questions every new event leader should ask.
Business
- 1.What business outcomes matter most?
- 2.How does our event strategy support revenue?
- 3.Which audiences matter most?
- 4.What metrics matter to executives?
- 5.What events are highest priority?
Leadership
- 1.Who makes final decisions?
- 2.How are budgets approved?
- 3.What challenges exist today?
- 4.What has worked well?
- 5.What has failed?
Portfolio
- 1.Why does every event exist?
- 2.Which events should evolve?
- 3.Which events should end?
- 4.Are we overspending?
- 5.Are we measuring the right KPIs?
Vendors
- 1.Which partners are indispensable?
- 2.Where are contracts expiring?
- 3.Are agencies delivering value?
- 4.Could technology replace manual work?
- 5.Are vendors aligned with our strategy?
Team
- 1.Are roles clearly defined?
- 2.Where are the biggest skill gaps?
- 3.What processes create frustration?
- 4.What should be standardized?
- 5.Where can AI help?
Growth
- 1.What would success look like one year from now?
- 2.What should we stop doing?
- 3.What should we start doing?
- 4.What deserves more investment?
- 5.What's one decision that would create the biggest impact?
Appendix B
Executive Meeting Agenda Template
- 01Meeting Objective
- 02Business Update
- 03Portfolio Review
- 04Current Priorities
- 05Risks
- 06Budget
- 07Upcoming Decisions
- 08Executive Support Needed
- 09Next Steps
Appendix C
Leadership resources.
Recommended Books
- — The First 90 Days — Michael Watkins
- — The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — Patrick Lencioni
- — Leaders Eat Last — Simon Sinek
- — Radical Candor — Kim Scott
- — Atomic Habits — James Clear
Podcasts
- — HBR IdeaCast
- — Masters of Scale
- — Coaching for Leaders
- — The Diary of a CEO
- — Think Fast, Talk Smart
AI Tools
- — ChatGPT
- — Claude
- — Perplexity
- — Grammarly
- — Notion AI
Final Thoughts
Your first 90 days aren't about having all the answers. They're about asking better questions.
Listen more than you speak.
Build relationships before making changes.
Understand the business before redesigning the event strategy.
Lead with intention, communicate with clarity, and create systems that help your team succeed long after the first 90 days have passed.
Extraordinary event leaders aren't remembered because they planned perfect events. They're remembered because they built trust, made better decisions, and helped their organizations create experiences that truly mattered.
Strategy. Alignment. Scale.
— Sara Straw