Building Future Leaders in Your Organization

Most CEOs will tell you talent retention is their biggest challenge, but that's only half the truth. Lack of succession planning is the real culprit. Our latest CEO Survey revealed that 37% of leaders struggle with retention, and many admit they lack robust succession plans. Here’s the risk: if the next generation of leaders isn’t ready to step up, even the most successful firms could face a leadership void in the years ahead. I’ve seen it firsthand. Many firms are so focused on today’s hiring shortages that they overlook the long game. The lack of a sophisticated succession plan is a major risk. Here are four strategies for building a stronger leadership bench: 1. Spot hidden talent Look beyond titles. Your next great leader is the manager quietly solving problems behind the scenes. Creating opportunities for these individuals to step into higher-stakes roles can reveal untapped potential. 2. Build leadership DNA into culture Succession planning isn’t just an HR exercise. It involves embedding mentorship, collaboration, and growth into the everyday fabric of your firm. Leaders should be intentional about sharing their knowledge. 3. Adapt to new generational needs The workforce is changing. Younger leaders expect different things from their careers, like flexibility, purpose, short-term incentives and opportunities for impact. 4. Create a continuous development pipeline.   Leadership development shouldn’t happen only in reaction to immediate needs. Introduce leadership academies to prepare future leaders at different career stages. Incorporate real-time feedback, coaching, and self-assessment tools into development plans. I’ve learned that succession planning is less about replacing people and more about future-proofing your culture. I'd like to hear about any succession planning strategies that you have in place.

Are you a nonprofit Executive Director planning to exit in 3–5 years? Start building your replacement now. Not by naming them. Not by promising anything. But by creating options. Because you want your organization to thrive after you. You've poured your heart, soul, and steady leadership into this organization. And you worry someone will come behind you and muck it up. Yet you want to hand the organization off to someone who can take it even further. A bit of a conundrum. But that kind of leader doesn’t just appear, they’re grown over time. In how they lead. In decisions they help shape. In stretch assignments that help people show creativity, strength, or stick-with-it-ness. This isn’t about picking favorites. I think that leads to missing talent. Instead, look for ways to build pathways to leadership within your organization. Let people try more. Let them think bigger. Let them feel what it’s like to lead, without talking "succession." And the people who surface as strong leaders might surprise you. How do you know leadership development is already happening in your organization? Here are a few signs: -> People lead meetings they didn't before. -> Decisions are being shaped by more than one voice. -> Staff are taking the lead on cross-functional projects. -> You’ve handed off a funder relationship, and it continues to thrive. -> Someone is learning how to present to the board. -> Team members know what growth looks like in their role. -> There’s space for reflection after a big win or a big miss. -> Leadership isn’t limited to titles. It’s visible in how people show up. Because succession isn’t just about replacing you. It’s about building to the vision, the impact your mission is designed to achieve. The strongest transitions start long before they’re needed.

If your top 5 leaders left tomorrow, Would your organization be okay? If you can't answer this question confidently. You need to start building your bench. I spent over 40 years learning from the highest-performing teams across the United States during my tenure at Chick-fil-A. You begin to notice commonalities between the best teams after a while. Most organizations are one resignation away from crisis. The best organizations have the next leader ready to go. And it's simply because the best focus on growing their leaders instead of spending resources to "find" them. If you're unsure how to grow your leadership bench, here's where I would start today: Identify high-potential people early. Provide coaching and mentoring. Give them stretch assignments. Create leadership development programs. If you begin to systematize this process, you are getting an early start on training your next group of leaders. A great example would be sports teams that make a run. These teams don't just have great starters. They have great depth and players willing to do it all. When someone gets injured, the next person is ready. Your organization needs the same thing. As a leader, it's your job to be proactive about this. Stop and ask yourself these 3 questions: Who are your top 10 potential leaders? What are you doing right now to develop them? Who would replace your key leaders if they left? If you can't answer these questions, Start building your bench today. The future of your organization depends on it. Remember: the best leaders lead every day - The LED Team