1、November 2025Strategy&Corporate Finance PracticeNail your firsts:A new CEOs guide to stakeholder impactNew and incoming CEOs are often unprepared for the intensity of internal and external stakeholder engagement.The right mindset,communication skills,and actions can make all the difference.This arti

2、cle is a collaborative effort by Blair Epstein,Carolyn Dewar,and Richard Steele,with Eric Sherman and Kate Freeland,representing views from McKinseys Strategy&Corporate Finance Practice.Dear new CEO,First,congratulations on your new role.This is a true unfreezing moment for you and the organization

3、at large.Its a personal achievement andwhen done the right waya public good.But the path ahead is unlike what many CEOs have faced before,and it will demand new levels of adaptability,resilience,and communication.New and incoming CEOs like you are being asked to take on the job at an increasingly ac

4、celerated pace,partly because of new time pressures:CEO tenure is now at an all-time low of 6.8 years.1 And theres real value at stakeresearch shows that poorly managed C-suite transitions in the S&P 1500 wipe out nearly$1 trillion in market value annually.2 As Allianz CEO Oliver Bte has said,“Nothi

5、ng prepares you for becoming the face of a company.Nothing.”3 New and incoming CEOs tell us that one of their most common hurdles is engaging a whole new range of stakeholders,including investors,regulators,media,employees,board members,and broader communities.Youll be shifting(seemingly overnight)f

6、rom a private leader within the four walls of a company to a much more public profile.This shift,compounded by social media and a proliferation of new technologies and channels,can make for a steep learning curve,particularly given that only 1 percent of Fortune 100 CEOs have a formal background in