Passing the TORCH: Thoughts on Responsible Leadership Transfer
by Forrest C. Greenslade, Ph.D.
From
The Simple-Minded Manager, Cutting Through Your Work-Life Chaos
 I
HAVE JUST RETIRED from the Presidency of an international
not-for-profit corporation dedicated to improving women's health.
For some time, I have been thinking about the importance of
responsible leadership transfer in growing a healthy decisive
organization. I believe that the Board of Directors and Staff of
that company managed the transfer of leadership through an exemplary
process, the principles of which are valuable to decision-makers in
most organizations.
Whether you are the Chairperson of the BOD, the CEO, Director of
a major functional group, or technical leader in a project team, you
will have to transfer your responsibilities to a new leader many
times in your career. Whether you hold a leadership position in your
workplace, place of worship, or community, you will need to manage
the impact of leadership change on the health of that organization
at some point. There is no more important leadership intervention to
the long-term health of our institutions than responsibly
transferring that leadership.
Here are five simple principles for passing the TORCH:
Transparency
- the quality of being easily seen through or detected; obvious1
This is the most important and the most difficult principle to
follow. Transparency is critical because nothing produces anxiety
throughout an organization more than uncertainty about the person at
the helm. Transparency is difficult because it requires those people
in charge to share their own uncertainties about future leadership
of the organization. It is critical at the earliest possible time to
disclose to virtually everyone in the organization: that a
leadership change is planned; why the change is needed; the time
frame anticipated; and the process to manage the leadership
transition.
Organization
- a structure through which individuals cooperate systematically
to conduct business1
Like any critical element of management, leadership transfer
requires significant human and financial resources. This must be
recognized as the priority for the successful accomplishment of the
organization's strategic plan. Analyze the qualities of leadership
needed to execute the future initiatives of the plan. Dedicate key
individuals within and outside the organization to advise and direct
the process of identifying, attracting and hiring the most
appropriate new leader.
Responsibility
- being able to be trusted or depended upon; reliable1
The outgoing leader must never leave a significant void for his
or her successor. A successful transition plan must include a
process of downloading the outgoing leader's understanding of
organizational history, vision, mission, culture and managerial
mechanisms to other members of the leadership team. This will
involve a certain level of discomfort for all involved. The outgoing
leader must delegate more and more authority and decision-making,
while the remaining members of the management team must take on more
and more responsibility. The goal is to have a completely reliable
management team for the new leader, whether that person is selected
from within the organization or from another. If the outgoing leader
is not truly a "lame duck" by the time the succeeding
leader is chosen, he or she has not done a good job of leadership
transfer.
Communication
- The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by
speech, signals, writing, or behavior1
As important as transparency is within the organization,
communication to outside stakeholders is imperative. Uncertainty
outside the organization about the person at the helm is as
dangerous as internal anxiety. Investors, partners, collaborators,
customers, and other influential individuals should be informed of
the planned leadership change. They need to be assured of the
organization's long-term health and direction. They should be
engaged in the search for a new leader.
Harmony
- agreement in feeling or opinion; accord: a pleasing combination
of elements in a whole1
No matter what reasons prompt change at the top, leadership
transition is a great organizational opportunity. If planned and
managed properly, such transitions can serve as catalysts for
re-evaluation and agreement on re-vitalized vision and mission. The
process can bring about broader conformity to updated strategy and
management. The circumstances of working together to execute
transition can energize an atmosphere of cooperation and generate
new rapport within and outside the organization.
Passages are always challenging, no matter how well they are
planned and managed. There are always daunting issues to be
addressed outgoing leaders, succeeding leaders and individuals who
facilitate orderly succession. The simple principle that I have
suggested in this article can guide the leadership transition
process, and make such passages easier; these simple principles can
make passing the TORCH a tool to improve your organization's health.
1 The
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition
copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version
licensed from INSO Corporation. All rights reserved.
Buy
The Simple-Minded Manager online from Amazon.com!
Top of Page
|
