On Succession and the Businesses That Don't Plan for It

One of the most common — and most avoidable — crises I see in businesses is a succession problem that was visible years before it became urgent.

A key person retires, or leaves unexpectedly, or moves on. And the business discovers it doesn't have anyone ready to step into the role. Or worse, the owner has been so central to everything that the business struggles to function without them.

This isn't a reflection of poor leadership. In many cases it's the opposite — a sign that a strong individual has been driving results so effectively that building the capacity around them has been quietly deprioritised.

But a business that depends on one person isn't resilient. And the time to solve that problem is not when the person is on their way out the door. It's now.

The leaders I most admire are the ones who measure their success not by what they achieve while they're there, but by what the business is capable of when they're not. That's a different kind of leadership. And it's a harder one. But it's the one that builds something that lasts.