Guides for Incoming Leaders

The most senior appointees at agencies are experienced leaders who are often new to the federal environment. They must quickly dive in to learn existing processes, programs and personnel structures.

The Center for Presidential Transition has developed guides for new leaders in four roles: cabinet secretaries, deputy secretaries, assistant secretaries for administration and management and chief human capital officers. Each guide is designed to support new leaders and their senior staff, outlining best practices for quickly getting up to speed on existing processes, stakeholders and tools to expedite impact. These guides are informed by leaders who have previously held each position, providing incoming leaders with lessons learned to navigate complex government structures and accomplish administration priorities.

A Guide for New Cabinet Secretaries
This guide is intended to support you as a new member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Developed with input from former Cabinet secretaries and senior federal leaders, it outlines best practices to increase your impact as a leader of a large and complex organization.
January 15, 2025
A Guide for Incoming Cabinet Deputy Secretaries
This guide outlines best practices that you, as deputy secretaries, should follow to increase your impact, focusing on key people, issues and stakeholders. It was informed by insights from former deputy secretaries and other senior federal leaders.
January 15, 2025
A Guide for Chief Human Capital Officers
This guide outlines leading practices and key actions you can take to build effective relationships with new appointees during their first weeks and throughout the onboarding process to position yourself as a trusted advisor.
January 15, 2025
A Guide for Incoming Secretaries for Administration and Management
This guide outlines leading practices and key actions you can take to accelerate your impact during your first month, and assess your success during your first year and beyond.
January 15, 2025