Leadership transitions are pivotal moments. A CEO's first 100 days in a role are exhaustively studied; the last 100 days far less so, despite the steep costs of poor exits and the compounding benefits of good ones. For organizations, mishandled transitions can erode shareholder value, destabilize strategy, and undermine trust. For individuals, they can unsettle identity, strain relationships, and tarnish reputations.
These numbers reflect the critical need for effective support during leadership transitions. If this sounds familiar, here's how leaders can coach someone up to replace them. COACH THEIR MINDSET AND NOT JUST THEIR SKILL SET When we hand off a role, we often default to knowledge transfer. We overemphasize tools, systems, and processes. But that is not where most leaders struggle. The deeper fear for most new leaders is internal: Will I ever be as good as you?