Succession

We are living in an era of succession anxiety and Higher Education can actually lead the way

Leaders move on. Leaders are fired. Leaders die. When leaders leave a new leader is needed to fill the void, but if you read the papers or watch the news, you have probably noted that a myriad of US industries are experiencing a tension around succession. The perceived lack of a leadership pipeline is something that is keeping industry, politics and leadership watchers on edge. Succession planning can only be effective if there is a true understanding of what it takes to get the job done and a belief that the next leader may look differently than the current one.  Succession planning needs to touch on the skills and acumen of leaders, but it also needs to consider risk and legacy.

Poor succession planning heightens the total costs to the organization. Costs that are financial, costs that are emotional and costs that are a hit to the progress of the organization. There is a true value to succession planning, and we know this because each and every day, we either participate in or see the ramifications of succession planning.