Leadership Succession Accelerator: Program Management Guide

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

This 12-month Leadership Succession Accelerator is a structured, high-touch development program designed to identify and prepare at least two high-potential professionals for critical leadership roles. It synthesizes proven talent development methodologies—including the 70-20-10 rule, competency frameworks, and the leadership pipeline model—into a cohesive journey of assessment, skill-building, and practical application. The program's core essence is to build a reliable, internal leadership bench by transforming high-potential talent into succession-ready candidates through personalized, experiential growth aligned with organizational strategy.

Strategic Benefits for the Organization:

• Strengthened Leadership Pipeline: Systematically develops and certifies ready-now successors for key positions, mitigating business risk and reducing external hiring costs.
• Enhanced Retention of Top Talent: Demonstrates a tangible investment in high-potential employees' careers, increasing engagement, loyalty, and reducing turnover among critical talent.
• Accelerated Competency Development: Leverages a blend of formal training, coaching, and stretch assignments to rapidly close skill gaps in strategic thinking, influence, and executive presence.
• Improved Organizational Performance: Participants apply learning through real business projects, driving measurable improvements in team efficiency, project outcomes, and strategic initiatives.
• Data-Driven Talent Decisions: Provides a clear framework for assessing leadership potential and readiness, replacing subjective judgments with validated competency and performance data.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Analysis: The primary goal is to "Develop at least 2 high-potential employees for succession planning." While the program includes coaching and mentoring as components (per the 70-20-10 model), it is not exclusively a Mentorship or Coaching program. It is a comprehensive leadership development program.

Recommended Supplemental Layer: A Structured Executive Mentorship Component. Adding a formal, one-to-one executive mentorship layer will significantly enhance outcomes by providing participants with critical insider perspective, political acumen, and sponsorship—elements often missing from standard coaching and project-based learning.

• Value Added:

  1. Contextual Learning: Mentors provide organization-specific insights into navigating culture, strategy, and unspoken rules for executive success.
  2. Sponsorship & Advocacy: A senior mentor can advocate for the high-potential, creating visibility and opportunities that accelerate their path to the target role.
  3. Enhanced Transition Planning: Mentors offer firsthand knowledge of the challenges and requirements of the target succession role, making the final transition smoother and more effective.

• Implementation Note: Pair each of the 2 high-potential participants with a senior leader (VP+ level) who is not their direct manager. Establish a clear charter for the mentorship relationship, focusing on strategic career navigation, organizational insight, and network building. Schedule bi-monthly meetings for the duration of the program, supported by brief conversation guides aligned with program milestones.

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase (Months 0-1)

• $render`✓` Secure Executive Sponsorship: Finalize program charter, budget, and secure a visible C-level sponsor.
• $render`✓` Form Selection Committee: Assemble HR Business Partners and senior leaders to identify and nominate high-potential candidates.
• $render`✓` Define & Communicate Competency Framework: Finalize the 5-7 core leadership competencies for succession roles and communicate them company-wide.
• $render`✓` Select Participants: Use a mix of nomination, performance data, and potential assessments to select the 2 primary participants (plus 1-2 alternates).
• $render`✓` Kick-off & Onboarding: Conduct a formal launch event with sponsors, participants, and their managers. Distribute program guides and set clear expectations.

Tracking & Operations (Months 1-12)

• Program Manager: Assign a dedicated Program Manager to coordinate all activities, manage stakeholders, and track progress against milestones.
• Monthly Check-Ins: The Program Manager holds brief (30 min) monthly meetings with each participant to monitor progress, address roadblocks, and gather feedback.
• Milestone Reviews: Conduct formal review meetings at each key milestone (Months 3, 6, 9) with the participant, their manager, and a program sponsor to evaluate development plans and adjust as needed.
• Dashboard Reporting: Maintain a simple dashboard (e.g., in a shared drive) tracking participant progress on KPIs, assignment completion, and feedback scores for sponsor review.
• Resource Coordination: Proactively schedule and secure resources for workshops, coaching sessions, and project assignments.

Success Measurement

Specific KPIs:

• Readiness Score: Achieve a minimum 40% aggregate improvement in competency scores from the Month 3 360-assessment to the Month 12 final assessment.
• Placement Rate: At least one participant is appointed to an acting leadership role, stretch assignment, or is formally promoted by Month 12.
• Retention: 100% program completion and participant retention for 12 months post-program.
• Business Impact: Documented positive outcome from the participant's Month 9 cross-functional leadership project (e.g., process improvement implemented, new initiative launched).

Feedback Mechanisms:

• Pulse Surveys: Short, anonymous surveys after major modules to gauge relevance and effectiveness.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Structured interviews with participants' managers and mentors at Milestones 3, 6, and 12 to gather qualitative feedback on behavioral change.
• Final Review Panel: A culminating presentation and Q&A session with the executive succession committee to assess readiness and certify completion.

4. Approved Tools List

• LMS (Learning Management System): Primary Tool. To host all formal training content (recorded workshops, course materials, required readings), track completion of the "10%" formal learning, and administer pre/post-assessments.
• Personality Test & 360-Degree Feedback Tool: Critical for Assessment. To facilitate the baseline (Month 3) and final (Month 12) talent assessments. Provides objective data on strengths, gaps, and behavioral change for measuring the "Readiness Score" KPI.
• Internal Social Network: For Community & Collaboration. To create a private group for participants, sponsors, and coaches. Used for sharing insights, collaborating on projects, asking questions, and building a supportive leadership community that extends beyond the program.
• Coaching Software: To Manage the "20%". To schedule, manage, and document sessions between participants and their assigned professional leadership coaches. Ensures consistency, tracks coaching goals aligned to competencies, and provides a record of development conversations.

Justification: An ERG Platform is not suited for this small, targeted cohort. An Onboarding Platform is irrelevant. Mentorship Software could be considered if scaling, but for 2 participants, the supplemental executive mentorship can be managed via the Coaching Software or calendaring tools. The selected tools directly support the core 70-20-10 model and KPI tracking.

5. Resource & Content Library

General Program Content

• Module 1: Foundation & Self-Awareness
  • Article: "Interpreting Your 360-Feedback: A Leader's Guide"
  • Video: "The Leadership Pipeline: Understanding Your Next Transition"
  • Guide: "Creating Your Personal Development Plan (PDP) Template"
• Module 2: Strategic Acumen
  • Workshop: "Strategic Decision-Making in Uncertainty"
  • Simulation: "Business Model Innovation Case Study"
  • Article Series: "Financial Literacy for Non-Financial Leaders"
• Module 3: Influential Leadership
  • Workshop: "Executive Communication and Presence"
  • Tool: "Stakeholder Mapping and Influence Plan Worksheet"
  • Video: "Leading Cross-Functional Teams Without Authority"
• Module 4: Execution & Delivery
  • Guide: "Managing Strategic Projects for Impact"
  • Template: "Initiative Charter for Your Leadership Assignment"
  • Article: "Driving Change and Overcoming Resistance"

Supplemental Mentoring Content Table

To support the recommended Executive Mentorship layer, provide the following guides to both mentors and mentees to structure their conversations effectively.

Mentoring Session Focus	Key Topics & Soft Skills	Suggested Discussion Questions
Building the Relationship & Setting Expectations	Active Listening, Confidentiality, Goal Alignment	"What does success in this mentorship look like for you? What are your non-negotiables for our conversations?"
Navigating Organizational Culture	Organizational Awareness, Political Acumen, Giving Feedback	"What are the unspoken rules for getting things done here? Who are the key influencers you need to know?"
Strategic Career Navigation	Strategic Thinking, Self-Advocacy, Receiving Feedback	"What experiences are you missing for your target role? How can you strategically seek them out?"
Preparing for Transition	Change Management, Building Networks, Executive Presence	"What will be the biggest shock in moving to the target role? How can you start building credibility with that team now?"