Transitions at the Top: What Organizations Must Do to Make Sure New Leaders Succeed

PREFACE

It's never smooth or easy to transfer power from one leader to a successor. The incumbent may not be ready to leave because he believes there's more to do, but his board of directors insists. Or the board may not have the experience or patience to fulfill its accountability of ensuring leadership continuity. Or the search process may not be coordinated effectively by the human resources department, which may also fail to devise a useful, efficient onboarding program for the new leader. Or the organization may not be prepared for the changes that a leadership handoff brings, including the senior managers who may resist the new leader because one of them expected to be promoted or because a leadership change will threaten their power. For ...