It’s hard to believe that 9 out of 12 months have already gone by. ✈📅
I hope October is off to a good start and you are beginning to navigate the end of the year with energy and intention.
During my recent interview on the @ChiefOutsiders podcast with Pete Hayes, we discussed succession planning and its importance for long-term leadership sustainability—and not just for big companies. Small businesses, family-owned operations, and nonprofits benefit too. And succession planning isn’t only for C-Suite roles. The best leaders I’ve coached share one trait: they build a strong leadership bench.
We’ve explored how self-aware leaders create culture, engage in effective behaviors, and develop individuals and teams. When it comes to the ultimate measure of sustainable leadership success, here’s my view on what that really means.
A strong leadership bench is your organization’s depth of capable leaders ready for bigger roles. It’s the talent pipeline ensuring success doesn’t depend solely on you or a few key people. It’s succession planning in action—not just identifying replacements, but actively preparing multiple people to lead at higher levels.
What I’ve seen repeatedly during my years of coaching leaders: they are stronger when they develop the leaders around them. Self-aware leaders understand their job isn’t just achieving results—it’s building the leadership capacity that sustains those results long after they’ve moved on.
5 Ways to Build a Leadership Bench That Lasts
1. Know Both The Leadership Potential and Gaps of Each Direct Leader. Go beyond knowing what your leaders do well in their current roles. Understand their leadership capabilities, what leadership skills they need to develop, and what specific experiences would prepare them for greater responsibility. Can you describe not just who your strongest performers are, but who your future leaders are?
2. Give Stretch Assignments That Build Leadership Muscle. Don’t just delegate tasks—deliberately assign projects that require people to lead, make decisions, and navigate complexity. Let them run meetings, lead initiatives, and represent the team with stakeholders. Every stretch assignment should answer: “What leadership capability will this build?”
3. Provide Real Autonomy with Real Accountability. Future leaders need the freedom to make decisions, take risks, and yes, make mistakes. Give people ownership over outcomes, not just tasks. When they stumble, coach them through what they learned rather than swooping in to fix things. Leadership develops through experience, not observation.
4. Create a Culture Where Feedback Flows Freely. Strong benches are built through ongoing feedback, not annual reviews. Regularly share what you see in terms of leadership strengths and growth areas. Encourage peer feedback. Help people understand how they’re perceived as leaders and what would make them more effective.
5. Actively Advocate for Your People’s Advancement. Champion your team members for promotions, high-visibility projects, and leadership opportunities. Make it your mission to see your people grow beyond your team. The strongest leaders aren’t threatened by their people’s success—they’re energized by it.
Are you building leaders to sustain the success of your organization, or to move on after they were a part of it? Here are some resources for building leadership bench strength:
▶ Watch: My interview with Pete Hayes on @Chief Outsiders Podcast about succession planning, building C-suite level leadership skills and slowing down to go fast.
📃 Read: This HBR article: Four Tips for Successful Succession Planning – expert Executive Coach Marshall Goldsmith offers how to get more impact from your organization’s succession planning efforts.
📚 Book Recommendation: “The Leadership Pipeline” by Ram Charan – Framework for developing leaders at every level of your organization
✨ Sponsor: Consider bringing the 3-Month AAA Introduction to Executive and Peer Group Coaching online program into your organization and sponsoring a cohort to help build skills that prepare high-potential leaders for higher levels of advancement.
How strong is your leadership bench?
Warm Wishes,
Loretta
Ready to assess your leadership bench strength? Our Self-Aware Leader 360-Assessment reveals how well you know your people’s capabilities and how effectively you’re preparing them for leadership.