A Framework For Successful CEO transitions: Insights from Page Collaboration Call

H/T Russell Dyer

CEO transitions are pivotal moments that test the organization’s alignment, clarity, and trust. In a recent Collaboration Hour, Page member Russell Dyer shared how CCOs can orchestrate these changes with purpose, turning uncertainty into culture and growth accelerators rather than destabilizing periods of uncertainty.

Below are eight guiding principles from the collaboration hour that help communicators navigate the first 100 days and beyond.

1. Know What the Mandate Is

Every CEO is hired for a reason—growth, transformation, renewal, or repair. Understanding that mandate is the foundation of an effective communications plan.

• Seek clarity on what the board expects the CEO to achieve.
• Frame communications around that mission from day one.
• Make sure your internal story reflects the business strategy—not just the biography.

“If you don’t know what they were hired to do, you can’t tell their story.”

2. Remember Time Is the Most Precious Resource

Time—not budget—is the CEO’s most limited asset. CCOs can create extraordinary value by protecting and prioritizing it.

• Help build a 100-day plan that emphasizes listening before broadcasting.
• Guard the calendar: every appearance should serve a strategic purpose.
• Multiply presence with efficient formats—short videos, internal Q&As, or curated notes.

When a CCO manages time well, it signals focus and respect for both the leader and the organization.

3. Don’t Forget About the Most Senior Leaders (Your Peers)

Transitions can rattle leadership teams as much as employees. Early engagement with peers helps keep the C-suite aligned.

• Invite them into message development.
• Offer frameworks for their own communications to avoid mixed signals.
• Reinforce that this change is collective, not top-down.

“Transitions fail when senior leaders don’t see themselves in the change.”

4. Day 1 – “Create a Content Feast Before They Search for Breadcrumbs”

Stakeholders will look for clues about who the new CEO is and what they stand for.
Provide them with a complete, credible narrative—before they go looking elsewhere.

• Prepare a rich internal and external content package: video, long-form letter, visuals.
• Humanize the leader through stories, tone, and clear values.
• Make sure employees see the person before the press release.

This first impression sets the frame for everything that follows

5. Establish a Consistent Cadence

Stability comes from rhythm. A predictable flow of updates helps employees feel connected as the new leader settles in.

• Commit to regular communications—short updates, reflections, or travel notes.
• Mix formats to maintain attention: written messages, audio, internal videos.
• At Mondelez, a “postcard from the road” series built transparency and trust.

Consistency beats intensity—it builds familiarity and comfort over time.

6. Be Intentional About What Should Be Left Behind

A change in leadership offers a natural opportunity to evolve.

• Audit what communications practices no longer serve the mission.
• Refresh tone and visual identity to reflect the new era.
• Use symbolic “firsts” to show cultural progress—small but visible actions that reset expectations.

“Know what to let go of—it signals what the company values going forward.”

7. Invite Colleague Voices Into the Next Chapter

The most authentic transitions involve more than one voice. Employees, customers, and partners all help define what the new chapter means.

• Encourage employee reflections in internal storytelling.
• Amplify customer and partner perspectives in external messaging.
• Use these voices to reinforce values and shared ownership.

When colleagues help shape the story, the transition becomes a shared journey, not a corporate event

8. Revisit the Launch

After the first 100 days, step back and assess.

• Which promises were made—and which have been kept?
• How has perception shifted among key stakeholders?
• What lessons can inform future transitions?

The best leaders—and CCOs—treat this moment not as closure, but calibration.

“The story isn’t over after 100 days—it’s when people start believing it.”

Dig Deeper

Related Knowledge Base Resources

• “The CEO’s Role as Chief Storyteller” — A timely exploration of how CEOs serve as the narrative centre of their organisations.
• “Stacey Tank’s Path From CCO to CEO” — A candid look at the transition from communications leadership to the CEO role, and what that shift reveals about executive identity and story.
• “Malice in Dallas: How Southwest Airlines CEO Turned a Slogan Dispute Into an Arm-Wrestling Match for the Ages” — A striking case study in leadership narrative, culture signaling and how moments of change can become defining stories.
• “Leadership Means Accountability: A Conversation with Ron Williams (Former CEO of Aetna)” — Insight into how a CEO anchors leadership transition in accountability, continuity and trust.