Be Like Water: Leadership Lessons for Your First 90 Days in a New Role

Be Like Water: Leadership Lessons for Your First 90 Days in a New Role

Author: Kevin Pannell July 2, 2026 Duration: 9:34

What should you do during your first days as a leader?

Many new managers and executives feel pressure to prove themselves by introducing new processes, reorganizing teams, or making immediate changes. But what if the best first move is something different?

Inspired by Bruce Lee's famous advice to "be like water," Kevin Pannell explores why effective leadership begins with observation, curiosity, and trust before transformation.

Drawing on lessons from the U.S. Navy, emergency management, healthcare IT, and years spent leading Project Management Offices, Kevin shares how experienced leaders can balance confidence with humility as they step into a new organization.

In this episode, you'll learn:

  • Why experience should help you ask better questions before providing better answers.
  • How to avoid solving the wrong problem during your first 90 days.
  • Why every process has a story worth understanding.
  • A practical leadership framework: Observe. Orient. Optimize.
  • How People. Process. Progress. creates sustainable organizational change.

Whether you're a PMO leader, project manager, executive, supervisor, entrepreneur, or simply beginning a new chapter in your career, this episode offers practical leadership advice you can apply immediately.

Mentioned in this Episode

  • Bruce Lee's "Be Like Water" philosophy
  • Building situational awareness before making change
  • Leadership transitions
  • PMO leadership
  • Organizational change management
  • Trust and stakeholder engagement

Connect with Kevin: ???? peopleprocessprogress.com |???? Instagram & X: @thekevinpannell |

???? YouTube: Own, Move, Anchor

If You Enjoyed This Episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone beginning a new leadership role. Your support helps more leaders discover practical conversations about people, process, and progress.


Kevin Pannell has operated in environments where a single decision carries immense weight. As a former Navy Hospital Corpsman in critical care, a Firefighter/EMT, and now an Enterprise IT PMO leader, he’s learned that meticulous plans are only as good as the moment they fall apart. His People, Process, Progress podcast explores what happens next. This isn't theoretical management advice; it's a deep dive into the frameworks that actually function under pressure. Each episode draws direct lines between the sterile intensity of an ICU, the unpredictable chaos of a 911 call, and the complex political landscapes of modern corporate projects. You'll hear concrete stories and dissected strategies about guiding teams through uncertainty, adapting processes in real time, and finding a path forward when the expected one vanishes. The conversations are built on a simple, powerful premise: true progress isn't about avoiding failure, but about mastering your response to it. For anyone leading teams, managing careers, or simply interested in the mechanics of decisive action, this podcast offers a rare, grounded perspective. Tune in for honest discussions on resilience, leadership, and the practical tools that turn breakdowns into breakthroughs.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

People. Process. Progress.
Podcast Episodes
The Internet Lied to You About Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:49
Most real progress is not flashy.The internet sells nonstop motivation, hacks, shortcuts, and perfect routines. Real life usually looks different.This morning my phone died overnight. I overslept, missed Jiu Jitsu, and m…
Busy Isn't Productive: Organized Urgency vs. Wasted Effort [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:23
What do ICU medicine, Incident Management Teams, PMO leadership, coaching soccer, fatherhood, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and fitness all have in common?More than most people think.In this episode, Systems Under Pressure | Orga…
A Great Project Manager Doesn't Need Fancy Tools [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:22
What happens when the dashboards, templates, and systems are no longer enough?This Five Minute Friday focuses on the difference between visibility and true alignment, and on why strong project managers lead people throug…
The Skills That Matter When Everything Falls Apart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:46
When the System Fails, Your Skill ShowsIf technology, dashboards, and systems disappeared tomorrow, could you still do your job?This episode explores why core skills, communication, and fundamentals matter more than tool…
Every Yes Costs You Something [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:19
What You Say Yes ToTrying to do everything spreads your attention thin. This episode focuses on choosing the right things to say yes to so your time, energy, and effort actually lead to results.In this episode:Why doing…
You Can't Do It All (And That's the Point) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:30
You Can’t Do It All, So Do What MattersWe commit to too much, then wonder why nothing moves the way it should. This episode is about being honest about capacity and making better decisions so the right work actually gets…
Why the Toughest People Break Down Later [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:14
Why Caregivers and First Responders Feel It AfterYou’ve carried others through their worst days. Now do the work so you can carry yourself through yours.In this episode:Why caregiver stress and first responder burnout of…
When Everyone Relies on You: How to Show Up Without Burning Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:59
This episode is for the "anchors"; those in scrubs, uniforms, or family living rooms who step in when it gets real. From navigating a cancer diagnosis in the family to managing sudden cardiac emergencies at home, we disc…
Three Strength Standards Every Man Over 40 Should Know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:48
Are you a physical liability or a protector for your family? In this high-speed "Five Minute Friday" episode, Kevin Pannell breaks down the objective strength and agility standards every man in his 40s and 50s needs to m…
Why Movement Is No Longer Optional [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:37
The Discipline of Daily MovementMovement is not about motivation, it is about identity and standard. In this Foundations Friday episode, Kevin focuses on why men, especially fathers and leaders, need to stop treating ex…