It's well understood wisdom that the first and foremost duty of a good leader is to nurture more leaders under them.
Yet, look around organizations across industries and you would find that a majority of senior roles do not have a decent succession plan.
In many cases, there is a huge seniority gap between the big boss and his next levels. Often, when a senior leader leaves the organisation it takes months to find a replacement, mostly from outside. At times, the portfolio of the leader who leaves is conveniently handed over to another of his peers rather than promoting someone from within the team.
These are all tell-tale signs of an org culture that does not prioritise meritocracy and growth for its people.
Such organisations miss out on the opportunity to have fresh thinking and younger blood into the ranks of its senior leadership - much needed attributes to thrive in the VUCA world.
Next time you are evaluating a job offer, do dig out a bit to better understand how much does the organisation promote internal mobility and growth.
That will tell you how far you can rise within the organisation.
#leadership #successionplanning #career #growth