One of the biggest leadership challenges I faced as a leader was figuring out who would be the best person to take over my job later. I kept picking the wrong people, getting it wrong about 90% of the time. This made me look closely at what went wrong and how I could get better at choosing the right person.

Common Mistakes in Succession Planning

From my past experiences, I found that many people like to brag about how great they are and ignore important details. When looking for someone to take over my job, I sometimes focused too much on their impressive resumes or charming personalities.

This can cause problems, especially when the job gets bigger or more complicated. Instead of doing a good job, it often turns into a situation where you’re just putting out fires and solving problems all the time.

When people brag too much about how great they are, it can be misleading. They might seem perfect for the job, but once they start, their real skills—or lack of skills—show up. This can cause big problems, like making bad choices, being inefficient, and always having to fix sudden issues. In simple terms, the hype about what they could do can cover up the reality of how well they actually perform.

Effective Strategies for Succession Planning

Building a good plan for who will take over in the future isn’t just about picking people who seem impressive on paper. It’s about finding the right mix of meeting today’s needs and looking ahead to future challenges.

You need people who fit well now and can also adapt and handle problems that might come up later. What works well today might not be enough in the future.

To solve this problem, you need to plan carefully and really check how candidates handle real-world problems and adjust to changes. Look at how well they solve problems, work under pressure, and grow over time.

Picking a successor isn’t just about finding someone to fill a spot, it’s about finding someone who will help the organization do well in the future.

A good way to manage succession is to have a clear plan that includes checking and giving feedback regularly. By watching how potential successors are doing and helping them improve, you can see if they are ready for future roles.

This also helps you spot and fix any skills or experience gaps before they become big problems.

Another key part of succession planning is having mentors. A mentor is an experienced leader who helps potential successors by sharing their knowledge and giving advice.

Mentors guide them through tough parts of their job, give feedback, and help them grow. This helps successors get better at their jobs and be ready for future challenges.

Good communication is really important for succession planning. It means clearly telling successors what they need to do and giving them honest feedback on how they can get better.

When everyone talks openly, it helps solve problems and make sure everyone knows what needs to be done.

In short, making a good plan for finding new leaders is a big challenge. It means balancing what is needed now with what’s needed in the future. You need to carefully check people’s skills, help them grow, and avoid just going by their promises.

By doing this, you can find and prepare new leaders who will be ready to lead well in the future.

What about you? What’s the hardest thing you’ve had to deal with as a leader? Share your thoughts in the comments below!