Over the past several years, many organizations have felt the loss of the most seasoned and experienced staff members who have chosen to either transition into retirement, or begin a second career. Whatever their reasons, the gap between wisdom and practical application is immense. Leading in times of economic uncertainty requires a well defined vision for the future, and a plan of execution deeply routed in organizational governing values.

Much has been said about the Baby Boomer generation, that unruly generation that challenged and redefined so many rules within our American culture. This is the generation that created Woodstock, staged peace protests, survived the Viet Nam War, invented the computer, and fought against the so-called establishment until they ultimately ended up in control of that very same "establishment". It calls to mind an amusing TV commercial that has been running lately wherein a stogy corporate executive-type makes a remark to a young employee that he is "sticking it to the man". At which point the young employee gingerly points out to the boss that he is, in fact, "the man". Hard as it is to believe, those same rebellious Baby Boomers eventually settled down, got married, got jobs, took out big mortgages, sent their kids off to college, and actually grew up and became (somewhat) responsible. And now here we are, shuffling steadily toward the golden years of our careers and the long-awaited retirement.

The "official" onset of the Boomer generation began on January 1, 1946 and concluded on December 31, 1964. During this time, approximately 75.8 million children were born in the U.S. In 2006, the first Baby Boomer turned 60; the first of 75 or so million Baby Boomers who are, or will be, turning the reins of their respective company businesses over to the next generation of leaders. As the Baby Boomers steadily exit their careers over the next dozen years, the face of American business and industry will change substantially. As any retiree will tell you, there are a myriad of arrangements to be made as one prepares for retirement; but what about the future and health of the businesses and organizations? Often in our haste to climb the ladder of success we can become very "focused in" with regards to our career or business and fail to identify opportunities and the responsibility to coach and prepare other leaders to fill our shoes once we’re gone. This short sighted approach may stroke the ego of the executive or leader with a false sense that they are irreplaceable, but as we all know, no one is irreplaceable.

Too many selfish CEO’s and corporate executives put more thought and energy into planning their own retirement parties than into making mature and conscientious decisions about the future of their organizations and for the smooth transition of leadership. Unfortunately, for the folks who remain behind to steer the ship and tend the fires, this can lead to a disastrous destabilization that some organizations do not survive. Ironically, on the surface it may appear as if the organization could not survive without the sage leadership of the former CEO; but in actuality, the failure to plan and poor judgment of the CEO by not preparing a succession plan for the organization contributed to the distress of the business.

Most successful businesses have firmly established plans for a variety of situations. We have safety plans, evacuation plans, production plans, marketing plans; we log, categorize, inventory, count things, weigh things, order things; it seems that no detail escapes our attention. How strange it is that we often do very little, if any, planning for who is going to assume key leadership roles after we’re gone. As stated earlier, not only can this destabilize an organization, but it can also serve to create powerful and destructive rivalries within the surviving power structure that can rip an organization apart from the inside. It breeds a "survival of the fittest" mentality that subordinates any mission statement or corporate objective. And the simple truth is that this is so unnecessary and easy to avoid.

Earlier in the article I used the word coach. That is an important word with us here at Coach Masters International. It’s not just a word; it’s more like a philosophy. Taking the time to understand the importance of coaching within an organization can make the difference between a smooth transition of leadership and an organization in chaos. True coaching involves equal opportunity for all who possess the raw qualities of leadership. Coaching is not to be confused with playing favorites, brown-nosing, or capricious decision making. It is about empowering people and calling one another to a higher level. Coaching is achieved by a commitment to excellence and by establishing an environment where people are valued based on their individual core competencies. Cream rises to the top, and so will your new leaders. Provide them with an adequate forum to demonstrate and sharpen their skills and let them do the work. I have always believed that authority finds its way to those who can wield it. By establishing an appropriate staff development coaching program, you will be able to master the delicate art of passing the baton to your next generation of leaders. You will be able to leave your organization with your head held high with full confidence that you have entrusted your office into the most worthy and capable hands.

The preceding article was penned in collaboration with Mr. Steve Kilgore.