5 Steps to develop your successor

Many a time, leaders lament about going for a vacation. The standard complaint is that there is so much to do after you come back from the vacation, that you need another vacation to de-stress from that post-vacation work pile-up! Yet, there are other leaders, who are able to take a couple of weeks off, without any pressure and with remarkable ease. In fact, I have often heard them say that things work smoothly in their absence and everyone knows what to do. There is almost a sense that if they were away longer, their organizations would figure out that they are not needed (lol)!

Which side of the spectrum are you, dear reader? Do you have a robust team in place? Do you have a strong second line of leadership that is independent and responsible? Leadership is ultimately about developing other leaders. Initially, you may have been preoccupied with working "IN" the business. But if you have a desire to scale your own and your company's growth, you should try to develop your second line so that you can devote additional time to working "ON" the business.

Among the many reasons that can inhibit a leader’s growth, one of the most neglected ones is a lack of a successor. It stands to reason, however, that your organization will find it difficult to promote you to a higher level unless they know that there is someone who is capable of taking over your role with the minimum break in business continuity. Have you given it some thought? Have you identified your successor and groomed that leader?