The other week, I shared that I’ll be stepping down from my role as CMO in the company I joined 7 years ago.
In many ways, it was the easiest and hardest decision I’ve made in my career. Easy because I’m ready for a new chapter. Hard because it’s a role, a brand, and a team that I truly love.Annual planning season is here. If your strategy stops at 2025, you may already be leaving value on the table.
Still, one thing is always true: Everything in life has a beginning and an end. Not everything can be planned, but succession can and should be.
In leadership, we talk a lot about growth, innovation, and driving results. But the quiet, powerful work of succession planning is just as vital. It’s not about letting go. It’s about leading through transition and setting your people and business up to succeed without you.
💡 The Best Succession Leaves No Void
I once heard someone say: “We all want to be missed, but the best succession is when the business barely notices you’re gone.”
At first, I disagreed. Isn’t it a good sign if your absence is felt?
But over time, I’ve come to believe that the true legacy of leadership is continuity. Not a leadership gap. Not disruption. Not panic.
A good transition should feel natural. Smooth. Prepared. It’s not about ego – it’s about responsibility.
📊 What the Research Tells Us
🧪 Studies show that succession planning directly impacts business stability and long-term performance:
- Deloitte found that organisations with formal succession strategies are 2x more likely to outperform peers on financial metrics.
- Gartner reports that only 1 in 3 critical roles have at least one ready-now successor.
- A Harvard Business Review study showed that companies with strong CEO succession planning achieve higher investor returns and stronger leadership pipelines over time.
And yet – many leaders still avoid the topic. Why?
Because it requires us to confront impermanence. To ask: “What happens when I leave?” And, deeper still: “Have I truly prepared my people to thrive without me?”
🧠 Succession Planning: Not Just for CEOs
Let’s break a myth: succession planning isn’t just for top executives. It matters at every level of leadership.
Whether you’re leading a 3-person team or an entire business unit, part of your role is to build capability that outlives your title. That includes:
- Developing internal talent
- Creating systems, not just relying on star players
- Building culture that continues without you
- Documenting what only you know
- Having open, honest conversations about the future
This is leadership maturity in action.
🔄 Your Next Chapter Is Also Your Responsibility
Here’s the other part that’s often overlooked: As leaders, we must not only prepare for someone to take our seat – we must also take responsibility for the one we want to sit in next.
In too many organisations, people wait. They hope someone taps them on the shoulder, offers the promotion, opens the door.
But your future isn’t a surprise party.
It’s something to be shaped intentionally.
So while you’re thinking about succession for your team, I’d also encourage you to ask:
- What do you want next?
- What are you preparing for – not just reacting to?
- Are you building a future by design, not by default?
The same rigour you apply to strategy, talent, and transition? It belongs in your own career roadmap too.
📩 Over to You
What’s your view on succession?
Are you actively planning for your team’s future and your own?
If this topic hits close to home, I’d love to invite you to something special:
🎯 Lead Your Way – My Free 4-Day Online Leadership Master Class (October 6–9)
In this live series, I’ll share the exact strategies that helped me grow as a leader – and prepare for bold career transitions like the one I’m navigating now.
Whether you’re stepping into more responsibility, considering a shift, or simply want more clarity around what’s next, this master class is for you.
🗓️ It’s free. It’s practical. And it’s designed for leaders ready to move forward with intention.
Maybe you want to join – or maybe you know someone who needs this right now. Either way, I’d love to see you there.
Let’s make sure your next chapter doesn’t just happen – it’s one you lead.
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