Succession Planning: Plan for Tomorrow Today

Who will be our next CEO? It’s a question too few schools and multi academy trusts ask before they need to

CEO succession isn’t just an HR process; it’s a fundamental aspect of organisational resilience. But many boards only start thinking seriously about it once a resignation letter lands. In a new digital article series, Matthew Clements-Wheeler offers advice about planning for the next change of leader and explains why your thinking needs to start months, even years, before any vacancy arises.

Think About Your Next CEO Now

It’s a question too few schools and multi-academy trusts ask before they need to.

CEO succession isn’t just an HR process – it’s a fundamental aspect of organisational resilience. But many boards only start thinking seriously about it once a resignation letter lands. Waiting for a vacancy before planning is like waiting for the fire alarm before checking your evacuation routes. Far better to consider the circumstances and options ahead of time.

Planning Ahead, Thinking Strategically

Some key questions to explore well before any transition:

• How will we know when it’s time for a leadership change? (e.g. CEO intention, the end of a strategic plan, a significant shift in organisational size or scope)
• Do our values and culture depend on leaders steeped in our organisation’s DNA, or will we benefit more from fresh perspective and wider experience?
• Is our preferred transition strategy a long handover or a clean break?
• Will a CEO change also affect other senior leaders or the executive structure?
• Could a new CEO benefit from a change in board chair, or would that destabilise things?
• Should the current CEO be involved in selecting their successor?
• Might a short-term interim CEO provide breathing space? If so, what are the implications?
• Will our next stage need a transformational leader or a steady hand?

Start planning early. Think broadly about the future of the organisation.

Whatever your answers to these questions, if you wait until the CEO resigns, it will likely be too late to act on them.

Next time, Matthew will explore how boards can create the right climate to allow potential leaders to gain additional leadership experience. This article originally appeared on Matthew’s blog. You can find the original article here.