The measure of a great CEO is not only what they build during their tenure but whether what they build survives them. The chief executives who create lasting organizational impact treat leadership development as a primary strategic responsibility.
The Deliberate Development Model
The CEOs who build the strongest successor pipelines do not develop leaders as a byproduct of organizational operations — they do it deliberately and systematically. This means identifying high-potential leaders early, assigning them to roles that stretch their capabilities in specific and planned ways, providing direct feedback from the CEO about their development trajectory, and creating visibility opportunities that allow the board to assess next-generation leaders before the succession event. This is a significant time investment that most CEOs underweight relative to its importance.
The Succession Process as Governance Standard
The board’s role in succession is to ensure that the process is genuine rather than managed. Boards that allow CEOs to control the succession process entirely — managing the information the board receives about internal candidates, shaping the criteria in ways that favor a preferred outcome, and limiting the board’s direct exposure to candidates — are boards that are not fulfilling their governance responsibility. The succession process should be primarily board-driven, with the CEO as an important but not controlling input.
