Most companies think about succession planning the way most people think about writing a will: important, uncomfortable, and something to deal with later. Then the CEO gets a better offer, the founder wants to step back, or the head of operations leaves without warning — and the organisation discovers it has no bench. ## Why it gets left too late Three patterns show up repeatedly: - **"We'll deal with it when we need to."** By then, the runway is measured in weeks, not years. - **"Our people aren't ready yet."** Because no one has invested in getting them ready. - **"It'll feel like we're pushing them out."** Handled well, succession planning is the opposite — it's an act of confidence in the current leader and the future of the organisation. ## What good succession planning looks like It is not a spreadsheet of names. It is a live, honest conversation — revisited at least annually — about three things: 1. **Which roles are critical?** Not just the top ones. Which roles, if empty for six months, would cause real damage? 2. **Who could step in — and when?** Ready now, ready in one year, ready in three years. 3. **What development do they need?** Real stretch assignments, not just training courses. ## Start with the questions leaders avoid - If I left tomorrow, who would step in — and would they succeed? - Have I told them they're a potential successor? Have I asked if they want it? - What am I doing this quarter to grow them? The answers are often uncomfortable. That's the point. Succession planning done properly is one of the highest-leverage things a leader can do — and one of the easiest to defer. The best time to start was five years ago. The second-best time is this quarter.