Build leadership potential rather than wait for fully prepared successors
Michael Watkins argues that succession planning should favour leaders ready to grow into enterprise roles, rather than candidates assumed to be fully prepared. Flatter hierarchies, cross-border uncertainty and AI-assisted analysis are making the transition from functional expertise to broader leadership harder. He recommends earlier cross-functional assignments that test judgment, adaptability and emotional regulation, alongside assessments focused on learning potential rather than credentials and past performance alone. Support should extend beyond appointment: stakeholder mapping and shadowing beforehand, followed by coaching, listening tours, team assessments and structured feedback as leaders settle into their responsibilities.
Why it matters: Leadership appointments need a development plan, not just a selection decision. Stretch assignments and transition support offer concrete ways to prepare successors for responsibilities their previous roles have not fully tested.
Source: “Leadership development: Why ready-enough beats ready-now” — IMD (Lausanne), October 7, 2026