Building Future Leadership Pipelines

Succession planning is shifting from reactive replacement to proactive capability-building, positioning leadership as a renewable resource for organizational resilience.

Succession planning is no longer a back-office exercise—it has become a critical component of business continuity and competitiveness. The pandemic highlighted leadership vulnerabilities, with Korn Ferry (2022) reporting that 47% of companies globally lacked a robust CEO succession plan. This has intensified the boardroom conversation on how to develop resilient leadership pipelines.

Today’s succession strategies go beyond replacing executives; they emphasise identifying high-potential talent early, embedding inclusive practices, and aligning leadership development with organisational transformation. Research from Gartner (2022) shows that organisations with proactive succession planning achieve 25% higher leadership bench strength and are more agile during disruptions.

A growing trend is the integration of data-driven assessments and AI-powered talent analytics to predict leadership readiness and mobility. At the same time, companies are broadening succession planning to include middle management and critical technical roles, recognising that future skills shortages may not be confined to the C-suite.

Key Insight:

References: Korn Ferry (2022). CEO Succession Study; Gartner (2022). Future of Leadership Bench Strength Report.

Succession planning is shifting from being a compliance exercise to a strategic risk management tool. With rapid CEO and executive turnovers, boards are investing more in proactive succession pipelines.

Korn Ferry (2023) found that fewer than 20% of African companies feel confident in their succession strategies, exposing them to disruption risks. In mining, banking, and energy—industries with aging executive cohorts—leadership gaps are becoming urgent.

Another trend is the broadening of succession pools. Instead of grooming only “next-in-line” insiders, companies are now considering diverse candidates, including women, younger leaders, and cross-border talent. Egon Zehnder (2022) notes that companies with more diverse succession pipelines are 25% more likely to outperform peers in long-term shareholder value.

Succession planning is no longer just about replacement. It is about building leadership ecosystems that blend experience with innovation, ensuring organizations remain adaptive in volatile markets.

📖 References:

• Korn Ferry. (2023). Global Succession Planning Study – Africa Insights. Link

• Egon Zehnder. (2022). Leadership Diversity and Succession. Link