An F&L The European Freight and Logistics Leaders’ Forum series of short personal comments on the global freight logistics market
Your first 100 days as a new leader won’t test your ideas. They will test your judgment.
The moment you step into the role, everything shifts.
New title.
New power.
New pressure.
Day one arrives, and you feel the urge to “leave a mark.”
New org chart.
New tools.
New targets.
The pressure to act fast feels logical.
But speed is rarely the real test.
Judgment decides what happens next.
The three traps that drain momentum
Over the years, I have seen three classic failure modes of new leaders.
The Skeptic
Questions every past decision.
Stops key projects to “review” them.
Teams feel their work suddenly has little value.
Top talent quietly updates their CV.
The Recruiter
Spends all energy on “my team.”
Brings in many new people fast.
Strong leaders leave. Weak ones stay.
New faces talk well in calm times – fail in crisis.
The Copycat
Keeps nearly everything as it was.
No clear signal. No sharp move.
The early “free pass” for change is gone.
Respect remains – trust in vision does not.
Different styles.
Same outcome: lost momentum.
What the first 100 days are really about
Here is the truth.
The first 100 days are not about making fast changes.
They are about using this time deliberately to build the foundation for lasting, strategic impact.
Earn the right to act
When I started as Sr. Director Sourcing Europe at Mondelez, I did something very simple.
I shut my mouth.
I opened my ears.
I listened to:
My boss
My leadership team
The people closest to execution
Key internal stakeholders
My predecessor (when possible)
I asked five clear questions:
What works very well today?
Where do you feel real pain?
What did we try before?
Where do you fear I will break something?
What is one thing you would change to unlock value?
No big speech.
No magic framework.
Just careful notes and honest conversations.
A few weeks later, things became obvious.
Patterns emerged.
Opportunities stood out.
Real blockers became clear.
Act with intent
Then I built a 100-day plan.
Proven by experience.
Anchored in what matters most.
Built to create momentum – and lasting impact.
Not “rebuild everything”.
Not “wait and see”.
I chose five deliberate moves.
Each carried a clear signal.
1) One team for logistics strategic sourcing and procurement operations
40+ people under one roof
One vision, one culture, one voice
Signal: we play as one team, not as islands.
2) Global RFP Guide
Clear rules
Faster tenders
Full compliance
Signal: we remove friction, not control.
3) Market intelligence at the centre
Data behind every sourcing decision
Fewer gut feel calls
Signal: we use facts, not noise.
4) Logistics Centre of Excellence
Clear process
Shared tools
Deeper skills
Signal: logistics is a craft, not a cost line.
5) One savings language with Finance
One number
One story
No “my numbers vs your numbers”
Signal: we win as one company, not in silos.
These five moves were not huge on cost.
They were huge on meaning.
They sent a clear message:
I respect what already works.
I care about you and your work.
I fix what blocks speed and value.
When entry is right, results follow
Kearney benchmarked our team as a global leader in logistics sourcing.
We became a 2025 World Procurement Award finalist.
Team spirit stayed strong under extreme pressure.
Where real leadership begins
Starting a new role often feels like a race.
To prove yourself.
To justify the decision.
To show momentum fast.
But real leaders know this:
the first win is not visibility – it is credibility.
Credibility comes from
listening longer than feels comfortable.
protecting what already works.
choosing a few moves that matter instead of many that impress.
If you are stepping into something new this year, don’t rush to be loud.
Be deliberate.
Be thoughtful.
Be patient enough to earn momentum – not just movement.
Two questions to sit with:
What am I tempted to change too fast?
And what deserves my respect before it deserves my decision?
Michael Blumentsev, January 14, 2026
