Who Comes Next? Why You Need a Succession Plan Yesterday (But Today Will Do)

By Mary C. Kelly, PhD, CSP, CDR, US Navy (ret), Economist, Leadership Expert, and Author of Who Comes Next? Leadership Succession Planning Made Easy

No one wakes up and says, “I hope I get to do succession planning today.” But if you are leading an organization and you have not made a plan for what happens when key people leave (and they will leave), you are playing a dangerous game of corporate roulette.

According to a recent study, only 8% of companies have a formal, comprehensive succession plan. That is not just low, it is alarming. The good news? You are not alone. The even better news? My book, Who Comes Next? was designed to help you get your plan in place quickly, simply, and effectively.

Why Succession Planning Is Non-Negotiable

Whether through retirement, resignation, or a new opportunity, your top talent is going to exit someday. If you are not ready, the result is chaos, confusion, and a whole lot of unnecessary expense and stress.

Without a clear plan, transitions often happen under pressure. Emotions run high, feelings replace strategy, and you wind up with a leader who may not be right for the role, the team, or the direction of the business. It is like throwing someone into the cockpit of a jet and hoping they read the manual on the way down the runway.

Worse, these quick-fix decisions rattle your people. Employees lose confidence. Morale dips. Customers notice. Investors worry. And then you have bigger issues than just filling a seat.

What is at Stake When You Do Not Plan Ahead

• Mistrust and Misalignment: Abrupt changes cause anxiety across the board. Staff, stakeholders, and customers do not like being surprised.
• Loss of Institutional Knowledge: When someone walks out the door, their expertise walks out with them, and often so do their teams.
• Increased Risk of Failure: Promoting the wrong person or hiring the wrong person can undo years of progress.
• Disruption to Operations: Uncertainty in leadership ripples across the organization. It slows down decision-making and chips away at productivity.

Succession planning reduces all of that risk. It is not just a leadership issue it is a business continuity imperative.

The Six-Step Succession Strategy I Recommend in Who Comes Next?

Succession planning can feel overwhelming even for the most experienced leaders. For many leaders, their role is aligned to their identity. But the best leaders think beyond their own tenure. They think about legacy.

Here is how to get started:

1. Pinpoint the Big Changes

Succession is not about replicating yourself. It is about preparing your organization for what is next. That means identifying future challenges and determining the kind of leadership you will need to navigate them.

Do you need a visionary? A systems thinker? A turnaround artist? An industry veteran or a bold outsider? Every organization’s needs are different. Think about:

• Are we better off promoting from within or bringing in fresh eyes?
• Who on the current team shows real potential?
• Are there unspoken biases or personal loyalties clouding our view?

2. Build a Leadership Success Profile

This is your blueprint. Based on the challenges you have identified, what attributes, experience, and capabilities will your future leaders need?

Think of this as hiring not just for now, but for what is next. And do not put all your eggs in one basket. Make sure you develop several high-potential candidates.

Smart organizations create internal leadership pipelines and invest in professional development long before there is a vacancy. This gives you bench strength, so you are not scrambling when someone exits.

3. Have the Tough Conversations Early

Disagreement about successors is common and healthy. But it has to happen out in the open. Bring your board, key stakeholders, and leadership team into the discussion.

A lack of alignment here can torpedo even the best process. Avoid groupthink, resist personality-based decisions, and focus on mission-first strategy. Use tools, not emotions.

4. Make the Selection (And Use an Outside Perspective if Needed)

By this point, you should be clear on what you are looking for. If you are still unsure, bring in an objective third party to evaluate your top candidates. These assessments can offer insight into personality, leadership style, strengths, and gaps—and they remove internal politics from the equation.

Remember: selecting the leader is only step one.

5. Create an Integration Plan

The work is not over once someone accepts the offer. In fact, the real work starts here.

Build an onboarding and integration strategy that includes measurable 30/60/90-day milestones, stakeholder alignment, and support structures. Help your new leader succeed and make sure the team supporting them knows how to collaborate with them effectively.

6. Start Now. Review Often. Adjust Often.

Succession planning is a living process. It is not something you do once and file away in a drawer.

As your business evolves, so should your succession plan. Revisit it regularly. Update it based on new hires, business strategy changes, and emerging talent. And remember—succession planning is not just for CEOs. Every critical role should have a plan for continuity.

You do not need to have all the answers today, but you do need to start asking the right questions. And that is where Who Comes Next? comes in. This book walks you through a proven, practical framework to prepare for leadership transitions with clarity, confidence, and intention.