Succession planning is critical for long-term business sustainability, and there are lots of ways to get it right - and even more ways to get it wrong. Leaders must always be thinking about the future of the organization and
who will take over once they exit the company. If you're thinking about your own succession planning efforts, here are some unique perspectives from around the web.
Fearless Authenticity: The Key to Better Business Planning?
When we talk about succession planning, we often focus on the mechanics of the process. However, that process is about more than just the steps leaders need to take to plan for the future. On the
Talent Culture blog, Kevin W. Grossman of PeopleFluent, recently took a look at the positive impact a fearless attitude toward authenticity can have on hiring, retention, and succession planning. He addresses the impact of ineffective leaders and the failure of leadership to identify the right people for the right management positions.
In the piece Grossman writes, "This isn't the war for talent we're dealing with; this is a war on talent...It means employees dealing with crappy managers who are inflexible and inaccessible, who attack out of range because they can, because of their authority and the highly misused communications medium known as email, sent from the comfort of a closed-door office less than 10 feet away." He continues, "Nobody wants a world of work wasteland. Today's learners are tomorrow's leaders, so let's stop waging war on one other and invest in the bravery of being fearlessly authentic and making a learning and leadership development difference."
Fearless authenticity isn't a skill that leaders are born with. It's something that must be practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. Once leaders see the
benefits of being authentic, they are often amazed at how many pieces of the management puzzle fall into place.
Millennials: The Future of Your Organization
According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Millennial generation is poised to make up 46 percent of the US workforce by 2020. They are the future of business leadership, and much has been written about how to manage younger workers. When it comes to succession planning, Millennials must be considered in an organization's long-term leadership vision. The
Random Acts of Leadership blog recently tackled this topic, addressing young workers directly in an article titled, "
How to Become a Future Leader." The piece, contributed by guest author Dan Schwabal, Founder of
Millennial Branding, outlines four critical steps that Millennials can take to show leaders that they have what it takes to grow with the organization. Those steps are:
- Focus on soft skills
- Become a subject matter expert
- Get as much face time as you can with your manager
- Take on projects outside of your job description
It is important to engage young workers early to get them thinking about their own career growth, and to help the company identify high-potential talent early. If you have Millennials on your team, this is a useful piece to share with them to get them thinking about developing their own leadership skills.
You can follow Susan Mazza, founder of Random Acts of Leadership on Twitter at @SusanMazza
Getting From Here to There: Creating Business Value
Sustainable leadership accelerates the value of your business, and I tackle this topic over on
SlideShare. This bite-sized presentation will get you thinking about what you're doing today to create long-term value for your organization. It takes a look at the steps you must take and the key questions you must ask to help you identify high-potential leaders who can step into your role when you're ready to make your exit.
