Succession: Are You Ready?

Marshall Goldsmith's Succession: Are You Ready? serves as a guide for CEOs and executives preparing to transition out of their leadership roles. The book outlines specific steps and strategies for creating succession plans that ensure organizational continuity. Through real-world examples and research-backed insights, Goldsmith examines the psychological and practical challenges leaders face when planning their exits. The text provides frameworks for identifying and developing potential successors while maintaining stability during the transition period. Goldsmith addresses both the technical aspects of succession planning and the personal journey of letting go. The book includes assessment tools and exercises to help leaders evaluate their readiness for succession and create concrete action plans. The work ultimately speaks to the broader themes of legacy, identity, and organizational stewardship that emerge when leaders confront the realities of their own impermanence. This examination of succession reveals fundamental truths about the nature of leadership itself.

Readers describe this as a quick, practical guide focused on helping leaders prepare for succession. The book's short length (130 pages) and straightforward checklists make it accessible for busy executives. Likes: - Clear action items and self-assessment tools - Real-world examples of succession challenges - Focus on both professional and personal aspects of letting go - Practical exercises for evaluating readiness Dislikes: - Some found it too basic for experienced executives - Several readers wanted more detailed case studies - Content feels repetitive in places - Price high for length ($20-25 for slim volume) As one Amazon reviewer noted: "Good framework but could have been a long article rather than a book." Ratings: Amazon: 4.0/5 (48 reviews) Goodreads: 3.7/5 (89 ratings) Several readers recommend pairing this with Goldsmith's other book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" for more comprehensive leadership development.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith This book outlines specific behaviors that prevent successful executives from reaching the next level of leadership and provides methods to overcome them.

The Leadership Pipeline by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel The text presents a model for developing leaders at every level of an organization through six critical career passages.

Good to Great by Jim C. Collins The research-based work identifies the factors and disciplines that transform organizations from mediocre to exceptional, with leadership succession as a key component.

Leading Change by John P. Kotter This work establishes an eight-step process for implementing successful transformations in organizations, including the development of leadership succession plans.

The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins The book provides strategies for leaders transitioning into new roles and organizations, focusing on the critical initial period of leadership succession.

🔵 Marshall Goldsmith was ranked as the #1 Leadership Thinker and #7 Management Thinker globally by Thinkers50, and has authored or edited 41 books that have sold over 2.5 million copies. 🔵 The concepts in "Succession: Are You Ready?" were developed through Goldsmith's extensive work with over 150 CEOs and their successors at major corporations, including several Fortune 500 companies. 🔵 One of the book's key findings shows that 65% of CEOs fail to deliver on the promises they made when accepting their positions, often due to poor succession planning. 🔵 The book was published as part of Harvard Business Review's "Memo to the CEO" series, which provides focused, practical advice for top executives. 🔵 Goldsmith developed the "FeedForward" tool, featured in the book, which helps leaders focus on future improvement rather than past mistakes - a technique now used by thousands of organizations worldwide.