How to lead an inherited customer success team

Customer success is often inherited, not built, especially when you’re stepping into an existing team. The title might be there, but the function behind it can look very different from what you expect.

That’s where the real work begins.

Over the years, I’ve been brought into startups, scaleups, and established companies at pivotal moments, all with one common ask: help us rethink, rebuild, or refocus customer success.

Whether I’m joining a new team or guiding an existing one through change, the approach stays consistent.

Because driving impact in CS isn’t just about putting new processes in place. It’s about understanding where you are, where you want to go, and how to lead people through the transformation in a way that sticks.

Using the customer success maturity curve to assess your starting point

One of the first tools I use when joining a new team is the customer success maturity curve. If you’ve never come across it before, it’s a simple yet powerful way to assess where your customer success function currently stands and where it could evolve.

The curve typically breaks down into four levels:

Reactive – responding to customer issues as they arise.
Proactive – anticipating needs and actively driving value.
Predictive – using data and insights to prevent churn and foster growth.
Transformational – embedding CS as a strategic growth driver across the business.

Most teams fall between proactive and predictive — understanding this helps set realistic goals. So if that’s where you are, you’re not alone, and you’re doing okay.

But understanding this benchmark helps guide realistic goal-setting. You can’t jump from level two to transformational overnight. Getting to level four takes time, collaboration, and a strong data foundation. You need to build toward it.

First 30-90 days: Listen, learn, and build trust

During my first 30 to 90 days, my focus is always on listening, observing, and building relationships. The timeline varies – a small startup may take 30 days; a larger org, up to 90.

In a 14-person seed-stage startup, you can likely get a full picture in 30 days. In a large enterprise, it might take 90, or more. The point is to take the time needed to truly understand the organization before taking action.

I start by talking to as many people as possible: team members, stakeholders, peers, executives. People who are loud, people who are quiet. People who are happy, frustrated, or somewhere in between.

These conversations are invaluable. I ask: “What’s working? What’s not? Where can CS add value?”

It’s not just about their answers, it’s about reading between the lines.

Alongside conversations, I do a thorough assessment of the current state, team structure, processes, tools, metrics. But I approach this respectfully. Most teams have already put in significant effort, and it's important to acknowledge that progress, even if things still need to evolve.

Some of the questions I reflect on during this stage include:

Is there a defined journey?Are metrics aligned with goals?
What’s the historical context?

Setting priorities and driving forward

Once I have a good handle on the current state, I revisit the maturity curve. Where do we land today? Where do we want to go? What will create the most impact?

Some initiatives will require high effort and deliver high impact. Others may be low effort but still drive significant value. Balancing these is key. You can’t (and shouldn’t) do everything at once.

Prioritize, and be deliberate.

Most importantly, don’t go it alone. You won’t succeed in a vacuum. You need champions across the business. That’s where change management really comes into play. Invite others into the process. Share the vision. Build momentum together.

That’s how you turn customer success into a true growth driver. Step by step. Person by person. With intention and empathy.