Free Guide
The Expat Leader's
90-Day Playbook
Lead in Asia Without Learning the Hard Way
The canonical advice is "listen for 90 days." That advice is incomplete. This playbook gives you a structured alternative, based on 15+ years of experience in Asia.
No spam. One guide and a few follow-up insights.
Get the Playbook
No spam. One guide and a few follow-up insights.
The Gap
Why successful leaders struggle after landing in Asia
And the playbook to help you avoid the same mistakes.
You have expertise and a mandate—and limited time to deliver results. Most organizations don't give you a practical roadmap for turning that expertise into results in a new environment. No one tells you that:
The behaviors that made you successful at home could sideline you in Asia
You can be observant and still miss what matters.
Your most valuable people might not be the rainmakers.
The first 90 days are but a dress rehearsal for the years that follow.
Inside the Playbook
What you'll learn
Days 1-30
Orient Without Overreaching
Define success before you chase it. Find your cultural translator. Calibrate before you perform.
Days 31-60
Build Before You Lead
Local systems, career planning, and why performance alone won't earn trust cross-border.
Days 61-90
Start Leading, On Your Terms
How to know you've built credibility, not just survived. This is the launchpad, not the finish line.
The Reframe
Turn Observation Into Informed Action
Two-way doors, small experiments, and action over cautious observation.
This is for you if you're
Accepting or considering a leadership role in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Asia more broadly
A senior lawyer or executive entering a culture where the rules of the road are unfamiliar to you
Working overseas without a structured plan and feeling unproductive or lost
Leading talent development and want to support incoming expat leaders
About the Author
Brandon Whittaker is an ICF-certified executive coach in Asia.
Harvard Law JD. Former Simpson Thacher (NY/Tokyo), UBS (3 continents), A&O Shearman. Legal Consultant. He coaches lawyers and senior leaders navigating high-stakes transitions in Asia.