During a recent succession planning session, I asked the room a simple question: what are you actually trying to build, a replacement, or leadership capacity? No one answered right away. Not because the question was hard, but because most organizations have never actually separated those two ideas. The Trap Most succession planning starts the moment someone is expected to leave or already has. A retirement is approaching, a key role feels vulnerable, a high-potential employee has been identified. The conversation almost always narrows to …
