Change, Growth, and Succession

Knowing what to do is easy. Executing is hard. Insight activates different competencies than action. The analysis phase of problem solving is fun. Brainstorm alternatives. Weigh pros and cons. Eventually, though, you have to act on an option. Here’s where things get dicey. Taking action means being responsible for the consequences of that decision. Most often, this stage requires a tolerance for change.

For most of us, learning happens every day. Most often, lessons arise from experiences rather than formal teacher-student alliances. Focused attention to the environment always illuminates or validates. When we build a connection with our surroundings, new pathways to growth open up. The same is true for formal pedagogy. It is the connection between student and teacher that becomes the ecosystem for exploration and discovery.

During turbulence, the flight attendant’s role is to portray calm. Even if they are freaking out, their job is to stay poised under stress. Airline passengers watch them carefully because, if they appear concerned, it’s time to pull down the O2 masks. With great power comes great responsibility (Voltaire 1784/Spiderman 2002). Whether asserted 240 or 22 years ago, the message is the same: If you are in a position of leadership, grow up.

Parents, teachers, mentors, and consultants live life on the fragile surface of a pedestal. It’s only a matter of time before they become human in the eyes of their children, students, followers, and clients. In the beginning of the relationship, their wisdom seems out of reach. Eventually, the gap narrows.

The Tiffany Dome was originally crafted in 1897 when the current Chicago Cultural Center opened as the then Chicago Public Library. At 38 feet in diameter, the dome holds 62,000 pieces of glass inside 243 sections. A complete restoration was finished in 2008, allowing natural light to enter the space that had been blocked since the previous restoration in the 1930’s. Teams of all shapes and sizes can learn a few things from this wide-scale, multiphase project.

We are enjoying a historic period of leadership succession as the Baby Boomers gradually age into retirement. Professional service firms often employ mandatory retirement thresholds when 62-year-olds need to find new career paths regardless of whether they are ready for a transition. Many of these colleagues are just reaching their peaks. The consequence is loss and change. When this unfolds, we lose much more than the person and their talent.

The first change that draws most people’s attention is the unfair event that alters their stability. The second kind of change is the one that you, yourself, instigate. Others react to this one like you would respond to the first type. The third kind of change is constant and quiet. We age. Our teams evolve. Succession happens. The first and second examples consume tremendous amounts of leadership and H.R. energy. What many people don’t realize is that the third is an even more valuable expenditure of time and talent.

Adult maturity has little to do with chronological age. Under stress, it has more to do with coping skills. Face it, there are children with more effective coping skills than some grown-ups. So, what in the world happens when the stakes are high and teammates have divergent views. Some move into problem-solving mode while others throw tantrums. Some lean in while others withdraw. Either way, how we manage change under normal conditions has little predictive value when things are upside down.

The period that follows upheaval is usually a time to regroup. Depending on the nature of the change, teams either recalibrate goals or focus their resources on healing. Which way the energy gets directed usually depends on whether the change was expected or unexpected – and whether the response was proactive or reactive.

Generational succession planning has left Baby Boomers with a conundrum. As the 60-somethings exit their leadership positions, they must decide how much guidance to provide the 40-somethings. These whippersnappers will likely own decision authority for the next two decades. Imagine the consequences in a family business where the heir doesn’t need to be qualified to get the job. Gulp.

The end is the beginning. 12:00am lasts less than a second, as today becomes tomorrow and last year becomes this year. We’ll take stock in the accomplishments of the past and make promises for the future. The clock keeps turning.

Succession planning has taken on new meaning over the past few years. Prior to the pandemic, it was simply the Baby Boom generation handing over leadership reins to the GenXers. The volatility of the COVID era has forced us to view these transitions through a different lens. Since the preciousness of life is now more fragile, succession is more of a gift to future generations.