"Succession Management: From the Front-Line to the C-Suite"
For most organizations an aggressive executive succession management program is a necessity for long-term viability. Increasingly, stakeholders require senior management to maintain a pool of ready-now executive talent to mitigate the risk of a planned – or sudden – loss of a senior leader. Unfortunately few organizations extend the program to lower levels of leadership, yet this may be where the greatest risk lurks. According to DDI’s 2005/2006 Leadership Forecast Study, only 15% of organizations surveyed had succession management plans at the front-line. Weak first – and second-level leadership inhibit growth and frustrate senior leaders who struggle with executing well-conceived business strategies. Add to this the coming demographic shift – baby boomer retirement will leave a smaller pool of potential leaders – and the need to identify, develop, and deploy leaders at all levels becomes more compelling. It is not merely the senior and high-potential leaders that require succession plans. Frontline and mid-level leaders are the wellhead for the future of your organization – the stronger your leadership at all levels, the richer your talent pool becomes as you move up the ladder.
