Recently in a conversation with a client who plans to retire in the next year, he was not sure who would take over his role. We talked about his role and his knowledge and his expertise, we talked about his team of managers. I mentioned that my idea of a leader is to share knowledge and train others to take charge, to make decisions, be available as an observer.
The next day he told his team of the idea of more training after a mutual discussion. His team were pleasantly surprised and loved the idea of more training sessions. The next business crisis one of the team managers made the decision as my client stood in the background to observe the discussion.
He felt wonderful and the other managers loved the training. Going forward, each manager will be responsible for making final decisions for changes in operations and within time one will evolve to be his replacement.
Leadership is about sharing your knowledge and preparing someone to take over your role. If you want your business to continue going forward think about succession planning, find your replacement within the company.
