How to Highlight the “Success” of “Succession” Planning

If you are a leader, your primary responsibility is not just to lead but to develop new leaders so well that it makes your role less and less essential. This goes against the grain of what most leaders have worked so hard to achieve. Leaders rise to their position because of their inherent drive and abilities. It’s a paradox that the goal is to become less important and less indispensable over time.

But to take your business (or anything you’re leading) to the next level, you need lieutenants who can help you get there. The real proof of your leadership will not come from your ability to build a business, foster the development of a division, or even create a winning team. It will come from your ability to secure the long-term viability of what you are leading by developing good leaders under you, and by planning succession effectively. Ego aside, you need to prepare others to take over and be successful. This is the ultimate test of your leadership.

Planning succession is not the end of your responsibilities as a leader. It’s more like the beginning of the end. Remember, the ultimate test of your leadership is not in leading, but in developing leadership in those around you. It’s the right thing to do to preserve and protect your firm, organization, department, committee, team — whatever you’re leading. Do it well and you’ll achieve the “success” in “succession” planning.

More on “Success”

In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote,

“Don’t aim at success — the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.”

Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about…..

Business Tips:

• A great concept has to have an executable strategy, and people will knock your concept unless they can see how you will execute.
• Want to be an expert in something? There is no substitute for time, energy, or effort. Repeat: there is no substitute.
• Fly at high altitudes and gain perspective. Things will become clear and decisions will be easier.

Life Tips:

• In a rut? Need a break? Take some time off for yourself. You’ll clear your mind by getting away from the daily grind.
• Body language sends a much stronger message than verbal communication. Guard your physical actions and reactions.
• Think about the turning points in your life that activated a positive change. Try to recreate that same sense of accomplishment.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Developing Leaders, Drive, Knowledge, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Life Tips, People Leaders, Success, The Mind of a Leader