I’m a recovering CEO who helps leaders build organizations strong enough to thrive without them.
Nixa
Joined July 2008
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Succession depth isn't one name in a sealed envelope.
It's how many people in your company could make a hard call next Tuesday without checking with you first.
If the answer is zero, you don't have a successor problem. You have a bench problem.
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Most succession plans are an event with a date on it.
The ones that work are an operating system: who you hire, who gets the hard assignments, who's in the room when the big calls get made.
If your plan lives in a binder, it isn't running.
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A cold caller asked what topic would get my attention after 30 years in construction and HVAC.
I said employee retention. Then it hit me: it wasn't the topic. It was the question.
I called him back and said, start doing that on purpose.
Curiosity opens doors persuasion can't.
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I call myself a recovering CEO.
Step one is admitting how many decisions still wait for you. Step two is asking why.
Usually, it isn't that people can't decide. It's that we never made it safe for them to.
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Ron Bogart retweeted
Leaving your organization shouldn’t mean watching it fall apart.
Yet, a staggering 40% of new CEOs fail within their first 18 months, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Even worse, a study by researchers in the Harvard Business Review shows that poor succession planning costs S&P 1500 companies close to $1 trillion in lost market value every single year.
Why does this happen?
Because we treat succession like an EVENT.
But it's actually a SLOW, emotional choreography.
Dear CEO, TRUE leadership isn't about being irreplaceable.
It's about making sure your vision and mission OUTLIVE you.
When I prepared my successor for an organization I led, I didn't just hand over the keys and wish her luck.
I used a step-by-step strategy called UNDERSTUDY TRAINING.
First, I taught her the core responsibilities.
Next, she shadowed me as I made tough, high-stakes decisions.
Then, she tackled smaller tasks under my guidance.
As her confidence grew, I gave her more authority and intentionally stepped back.
By the time I passed on the baton, the transition was completely SEAMLESS.
Today, the organization is still standing strong, handling larger projects, collaborating with larger partners, and is in a much better place than I left it.
Dear CEO, passing the torch does NOT diminish your legacy;
Rather, IT SEALS IT.
If you want to protect your company's future, here are 5 ways to build an effective understudy program today:
1️⃣ Outline the role CLEARLY.
Map out every major responsibility and hidden challenge of your position so your future leader knows exactly what to expect.
2️⃣ INVITE them into the room.
Bring your chosen successor into high-level strategy meetings so they can actively watch how you navigate complex issues.
3️⃣ DELEGATE low-risk decisions EARLY.
Assign smaller projects with tangible authority so they can build critical decision-making muscles under your supervision.
4️⃣ Step back SLOWLY.
Gradually hand over larger pieces of operations while intentionally reducing your daily involvement.
And
5️⃣Provide an ACTIVE feedback loop.
Meet regularly to review their performance and offer supportive coaching through the growing pains.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞:
Dear CEO, the ULTIMATE test of your leadership is your company's survival and success WITHOUT you.
PS: How are you preparing your leadership bench for the future?
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I help CEOs avoid leadership disruption in their companies by increasing leadership bench strength & succession readiness using Behavioral Analytics, Data & AI.
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐃𝐌 𝐦𝐞 "𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃."
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My doctoral research found a quieter cause: people who respect the leader stay silent to spare them. Safe to speak isn't enough. Leaders have to go ask, and keep asking.
teapawt.net/DrSWhitaker/status/211…
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Thirty years as a CEO taught me succession is rarely a paperwork problem.
A new FBCG and Plante Moran study agrees: 35% of family businesses have named a successor, down from 44% in 1997.
Governance got better. The decision didn't get easier.
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My research found that employees rated their ability to raise tough issues at 6.6 out of 7. Then we interviewed them, and everyone could name a time they stayed quiet anyway.
It wasn't fear. It was consideration. I wrote up what leaders can do about it:
wisdominworkclothes.substack…
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A good test for your leadership bench: ask three people what they'd do in a situation you've never covered. If the answers surprise you in a good way, you're ahead. If they all wait for you, that's your answer.
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A culture can feel psychologically safe and still not hear what its people know. In my research, I called it considerate silence. People weren't afraid. They were busy, tired, and assumed leadership already knew.
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One year ago today, I was in open-heart surgery.
Today seemed like the right day to do something fun. We’ve put A Heartbeat Away on sale on Amazon for the day.
We’re also trying to create a one-day sales spike to help the book climb the rankings. Thanks
amazon.com/dp/B0GQHH6YBW
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Have you ever realized you picked the wrong lane only after it was too late to change? That was my initial reaction and then I remembered that there’s a shortage of truck drivers out there and I count on these guys… instagram.com/p/Bzs5pUZHcUr/…
Two a days aren’t just for training #legionoflongevity #restdaybrags #sleep instagram.com/p/BzjThx2nR11/…
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Why in the world do we need another online community? There is ... legionoflongevity.com/blog/2…
Sometimes life is a real balancing act and all you can do is hold on until conditions allow you to resume progress. Remember that holding fast still beats giving up. #standyourground #nevergiveup #legionoflongevity instagram.com/p/Bxo-qtuH6q8/…
Teaching my boys (literally) the art of recovery #restdaybrags #bogartfamily #legionoflongevity instagram.com/p/Bxn1YfTnhtZ/…
Flex Friday on a deload week only allows for one arm #restdaybrags #lessismore #recoveryrequired instagram.com/p/BwJ0IubhOIx/…
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Pulling the pin on this HIIT grenade and rolling it out. Lots of variables of course but my advice is to read the analysis and come to your own conclusions. instagram.com/p/Bvywr6tB59H/…