Succession planning, or “success” planning as I like to call it, is a critical leadership responsibility that is too often postponed or flat-out ignored. When things are going well, it doesn’t feel urgent. The team is functioning, things are getting done, people are busy and in the right seats, your clients are being served, and revenue is coming in. That is exactly when succession planning should be happening!
Succession planning is not something you start when a key person announces they are leaving, retiring, burning out, or moving on. By then, you are already behind, and the wind is in your face.
I often think of the biblical story of Noah starting to build the ark at age 500. (Yes, look it up.) Noah did not start building after the rain began. He started about 100 years before the big event. That is a powerful leadership lesson. Here is a short introduction video on this topic.
In a similar manner, the best organizations prepare the next generation of leaders before they desperately need them. They do not wait for the “rain” to start falling before they ask, “Who is ready to step up?” They already know because they have been trained and prepared.
Succession Planning Is a Proactive Growth Strategy
Succession planning is not just about finding your replacement. Nor is it only about asking, “Who takes over if someone leaves?” Real succession planning is about growth, continuity, culture, and confidence for success to continue. It’s about actively identifying, developing, and nurturing future leaders who can help carry the organization forward. Here is a brief overview of how I help clients proactively & successfully develop their future leaders.
A strong succession plan answers deeper questions:
- Who has the potential to lead?
- Who already demonstrates ownership?
- Who has earned trust?
- Who goes beyond what is expected?
- Who has the character, judgment, energy, and commitment to grow into greater responsibility?
- And perhaps most importantly: who wants to move up for the right reasons? (Not the title and parking spot.)
Look Beyond the Obvious Choices
One of the mistakes I’ve seen organizations make is assuming the next leader is always the loudest person in the room, the most technically competent person, or the person who has been there the longest. Often, the strongest future leaders are not the most visible. They may be the strong, silent types. The people who do not constantly promote themselves, but consistently deliver. The ones who listen well, think deeply, follow through, and earn the confidence of others over time. They may not be asking for attention, but they are already demonstrating leadership. They are the people others go to for advice. They are the people who calm the room instead of creating drama. They are the people who take responsibility without needing applause. They are the people who bring solutions, not just complaints. Here is a short video where I touch on this topic.
A title does not create leadership. In many cases, leadership is already happening before the title ever arrives. The responsibility of senior leaders is to notice it.
Who Are You Promoting if You Want Your Organization to Grow?
If growth is the goal, then we need to look for people who demonstrate more than competence. Competence matters, but leadership requires more than that alone.
Look for people who have skin in the game, who take ownership, who care about the organization, the client, the team, and the outcome, who step into challenges instead of stepping away from them, who are willing to learn, willing to be coached, and willing to do the hard work of becoming better.
Look for people who are change agents. Not reckless disrupters but thoughtful change agents who see what could be better and are willing to help make it happen. These are the people who don’t just ask, “What is my job?” They ask, “What needs to be done?” That mindset matters and can make all the difference.
Future leaders bring something special into the room. They bring curiosity, initiative, energy, resilience, and a sense of possibility. They may not have all the answers yet, but they possess a vision for the future and have the desire to grow.
You can teach skills, build processes, and coach for better communication. You can develop business acumen and help someone understand how to lead, manage, delegate, and make better decisions.
But it is much harder to manufacture genuine passion. That’s where attitude, energy, and ownership make the difference in succession planning.
Succession Planning Requires Active Nurturing
Identifying future leaders is only the beginning. Too many organizations spot potential and then do very little with it. They assume people will figure it out. They wait until someone is promoted and then wonder why the transition is difficult.
Future leaders need coaching, mentoring, exposure, feedback, and opportunity. They need to be invited into broader conversations. They need to understand how decisions are made. They need to learn how to think strategically, communicate clearly, manage conflict, build trust, lead people through change, and fail forward.
Leadership cannot be learned only by observation. At some point, people need to carry weight. They need to make decisions. They need to lead meetings. They need to manage client conversations. They need to influence outcomes. They need to experience the pressure of responsibility while still having someone beside them who can coach, guide, and debrief.
I experienced this early in my career when I was being mentored and coached to be the president of the Sales & Marketing Executives of Vancouver (SMEI). The current and past presidents all stepped in to support me on my journey up.
The Cost of Waiting Too Long
When organizations fail to plan for succession, they create unnecessary risk.
A key leader leaves or is “hit by the bus.” Suddenly, the organization is scrambling. The wrong person gets promoted too quickly. Someone technically strong is moved into leadership without preparation. Culture suffers, morale drops, and clients feel instability. Too often, the people with the most potential were never properly developed, so they leave for another opportunity.
The best time to start developing future leaders was probably 3-5 years ago. The next best time is today!
Here are a few tips to help you get moving. Start by paying attention to those who:
- Are already demonstrating ownership
- Are growing faster than expected
- Have influence even without a title
- Handle responsibility well
- Bring steadiness in difficult moments
- Are respected by peers
- Are willing to learn and stretch
- Want to lead for reasons deeper than money, title, or prestige
If you have some people like this on your roster, start having intentional conversations – now. Ask them about their goals – now. Give them opportunities to stretch – now. Provide coaching and feedback – now. Help them see their strengths and their blind spots – now. Expose them to leadership thinking before they are officially in leadership roles.
Like old Noah, don’t wait until the rain starts falling. Build the ark now.
Succession planning is not about predicting the future perfectly. It is about preparing people wisely – now!
The organizations that grow with strength and continuity are the ones that identify potential early, nurture it intentionally, and create a culture where future leaders are being developed all the time. If you want a stronger organization tomorrow, start preparing by building strong leaders today.
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