Fastcompany suggests there are few career moments as exciting — and these days, as perilous — as taking over the top job at a company, business unit, or department. But what exactly do you do once you’re in charge? This online guide provides 18 tactics – and case studies — to help you take the reigns running.

1. Begin your transition before you start the job.
   
2. Travel widely within your organization, listen carefully, and look for patterns in everything you see and hear.
   
3. As you ask questions, look for the rising stars whom you want as part of your team.
   
4. Identify the kind of people who will flourish in the environment you want to establish.
   
5. After you’ve identified the ideal individual, identify the ideal group.
6. Acknowledge what you don’t know. Identify those around you who are the experts and don’t be afraid to lean on them.
   
7. Don’t be afraid to listen to people who disagree.
8. But clean house if you have to.
   
9. Establish a way to communicate with — and listen to — your entire team.
   
10. Don’t trash your predecessor, but don’t be shy about promoting your own agenda.
    
11. Settle on a few major priorities. You can’t fix everything at once.
    
12. Meet the customers. Balance the big picture vision with-front line views.
    
13. Target a few early wins. Momentum counts, and nothing succeeds like success.
    
14. Keep an eye on the clock. Faster is almost always better.
    
15. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but be sure to fix them faster than you make them.
    
16. Be wary of reckless re-engineering.
    
17. Don’t be afraid to look for ideas in unusual places.
    
18. Finally, ask yourself who do you really want to prevail, you or your organization?