21/09/2026
Every HR leader has a plan for the org chart. Far fewer have a plan for the day someone leaves it.
Succession planning fails for a predictable reason: it starts as a crisis response. A resignation lands, a committee forms, a shortlist gets built under time pressure, and the best available candidate gets the role instead of the best developed one.
Proactive pipelines work differently. They start before anyone leaves:
01 Identify — map the roles that would hurt most to lose, not just the C-suite
02 Assess — measure readiness with evidence
03 Develop — give successors real scope and exposure before they need it
04 Review — revisit the pipeline every quarter, not every crisis
The difference is not talent. It is timing.
Save this for your next HR planning cycle.
