Rebecca Slan Jerusalim
Appearances
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
Thanks, Emma. Pleasure to be here.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
One common mistake I see is organizations seeing succession planning as an exercise really in replacement planning. That is, who will fall into what roles or what boxes on the org chart. It's really important to emphasize that if done well, succession really encompasses development over the long term.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
That means that the organization is actively identifying key talent on a regular basis and actively providing them with development opportunities and experiences that allow them to grow. Too often, succession is really a check-the-box exercise at a critical point in time as opposed to having a long-term focus.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
What we really recommend is a leadership blueprint. This involves really well defining the criteria of success for that leadership role. The second piece here is really about the factors to spot talent. And when we think about the critical factors in succession, what we're really thinking about is, do they have potential to grow in role? Is there curiosity, adaptability, resilience?
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
Do they possess social intelligence? Do they use a systems thinking approach? Are they able to kind of self-reflect and have a broader purpose? And these are really qualities that are the hallmark of who has potential to continue to evolve their leadership.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
When succession is done effectively, it is a long-term, year-over-year approach where key talent is developed on an ongoing basis. And this ensures a number of benefits, including talent optionality. So if long-term succession planning exists... Key talent is given a wide variety of development opportunities to prepare them for the next level.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
And done correctly, this will ensure that when a role does pop up, there is optionality about who could fill that role. The second benefit is really the retention of key players. And in offering key talent growth opportunities, the organization is really signaling to them that they are valuable and worthy of investment.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
And that in turn creates this kind of sense of loyalty and interest in staying in the organization. The third benefit is really about creating a culture of talent. So leaders become well-versed in talking about their talent. There becomes an emphasis on long-term development planning and growth. People become comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
And when succession decisions are made, it can reinforce the type of talent and broader culture the organization actually wants to cultivate. So for example, right now, I'm working with a professional services firm. And they recently replaced a longstanding leader who really espoused a siloed kind of eat what you kill mentality. And there was a lot of dysfunction in that group.
Redefiners
Leadership Lounge: The Art of Succession: How to Identify Tomorrow's Leaders Today
And so this internal promotion really went to someone who was less well-known, but who leads in a way that the organization really values. And by replacing him with this leader who espouses more of the culture and leadership characteristics that the organization is really wanting, it has really started to change the very nature of the organization's culture.