Succession is an issue that as a CEO I have been thinking about for some time. I wonder who the new leaders are going to be? I wonder if we are properly developing our current leaders to be leaders of the future? I wonder, as does the board of directors, will my successor come from within the organization or from the community?
Succession is not easy to talk about….its very personal. It’s personal because it points our vulnerability and the fact that we are not indispensable. It acknowledges that people will leave, and we don’t want to talk about that. When we do, it becomes uncomfortable. Yet, on the other hand, there is agreement that we must talk about succession. We have a responsibility as leaders…board leaders and organizational leaders…that we must prepare today for what might happen tomorrow.
So why don’t we do a better job with Succession?
One of the reasons I transitioned my organization the way I did is specifically because of succession. I wanted to create a sustainable resource for the community. In my mind, that was one that was able to thrive with or without me at the helm.
For me, leadership is so much about empowering the leaders on my team. The different organizational structures you spoke of in an earlier post do exactly that. As such, they are more sustainable to transition and less susceptible to founder’s syndrome, key-man weakness, or any of those hierarchical complications. (Not to say they aren’t complicated in other ways, of course. 🙂 )
Jamie —
Can you describe the process you used to transition? And, as part of the process did you have what you are doing now in play?