Why Plan for Leadership Transitions?

An effective change in leadership from one chief executive to another is key to an organization's survival. A transition tests the organization's ability to renew itself, so that it can continue to fulfill its mission in a changing environment. A successful change in leadership preserves the organization and the trust of its stakeholders, and allows it to grow and adapt to meet new challenges with imagination and enthusiasm.

In some places, planning for leadership transition may conflict with traditional values and practices that protect the dignity and "face" of leaders and all other members of a group. To succeed in today's globalizing society, however, leaders may need to modify their management style in order to promote their organization's interests in a world that rewards flexibility, transparency, interconnectedness, and broad-based use of information.

This issue of The Manager focuses on making changes in top leadership and developing leadership capacity among staff at all levels, in nongovernmental organizations, and—where applicable-government health programs. A key part of such transitions is reviewing the organization's strategic plan and its strategic needs, along with making the leadership changes.

This issue of The Manager addresses you as a leader—in your organization, unit, or group of colleagues—whether you are a chief executive, chairperson, team leader, or facilitator. It should help you look ahead to when you or others will move on and new leaders take over. It can help you open conversations in your organization about these vital concerns.

If you are a chief executive or director, you can use this issue to help you assess your relationship with your organization. By drawing on your leadership skills, you can start conversations along the lines suggested in these pages, to learn what your staff think about your ways of leading and about the potential for development of leaders at different levels.

As a leader at any level in the organization, you can broaden your understanding of the organization's culture—its traditions, history, values—by participating in such conversations. You can appreciate the influence of that culture on your work and you can begin to see how your behavior influences the organization's work and evolution.

If you are a member of the board of directors, you can use this issue to take stock of the board's strategic relationship with the chief executive, and to begin learning what the board will need to do in order to manage a transition successfully.

You probably know of some organizations that should have planned their leadership transition but did not. You may know about organizations that have emerged strong from a turbulent transition, or weak from a calm transition; or organizations that have lost momentum, then morale, and finally staff members, because of unplanned or repeated leadership transitions. Years of investment and the trust of key supporters can be lost in a prolonged leadership crisis, jeopardizing the life of the organization.

Why would an organization risk so much by choosing not to plan ahead for changes in leadership? Some organizations have never had to think about transition at the top, because they are still being led by their founder. Some do not have a strong enough board of directors to take the lead, when the chief executive should move on but doesn't want to let go, or when the staff doesn't want to let go of their director. Others have a strong-willed or shortsighted director who makes the issue of transition difficult to discuss. The topic of transition is often emotionally loaded, because it touches on issues that are not easy to discuss openly. Often the organization avoids the discussion until a crisis arises.

Organizations that believe they do not yet need to think about leadership transitions are, paradoxically, in the best position to begin planning the process. They can start preparations in an orderly manner, putting in place the necessary systems and structures that will ensure an effective process when the time comes.

Whether transition is already a challenge for your organization, or whether you have the time to start planning, this issue of The Manager can help you plan for your organization's next leadership transition by:

• describing the dimensions of a transition process;
• charting the transition process;
• exploring ways for you and your organization to groom future leaders throughout the organization.

The guest editors of this issue of The Manager are Sylvia Vriesendorp, Organizational Development Specialist in the Management and Leadership Program of Management Sciences for Health (MSH), and Ann Buxbaum, Senior Program Associate in MSH's Population and Reproductive Health Program. They gratefully acknowledge the contributions of comments and suggestions of numerous colleagues inside and outside of MSH. The editors owe a special debt of gratitude to Thomas North Gilmore for his critical contributions. Mr. Gilmore is Vice President of the Center for Applied Research, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cambridge, Massachusetts.