You Don’t Have a Succession Plan. So What Happens When Your Top Performer Leaves?

You Don’t Have a Succession Plan. So What Happens When Your Top Performer Leaves?

Episode Description:
If your top performer walked out tomorrow… would you have someone truly ready to step in? Most organizations wouldn’t—and that’s the problem.

In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris pulls back the curtain on why the absence of a real succession plan is one of the most dangerous blind spots in leadership today. And it’s not about building spreadsheets—it’s about building people.

Colby shares a powerful leadership lesson he calls the Michael Jordan Effect, where we mistake performance for leadership potential. He also breaks down a practical, people-first strategy for developing your future leaders—starting with your next one-on-one.

You’ll learn:

• Why succession planning isn’t about legacy—it’s about readiness
• How to avoid the trap of promoting the wrong people
• A 3-layer development plan that aligns employee growth with organizational needs
• Real-world stats from SHRM and Forbes that will reframe how you prioritize leadership development
• How to use one-on-ones as your most powerful tool in preparing your team for what’s next

Whether you’re leading a team of 5 or 500, this episode will give you the mindset, structure, and urgency you need to stop winging it—and start planning for sustainable leadership growth.

Ready to develop real leaders inside your organization?
Let’s talk coaching, team training, or booking Colby to speak at your next leadership event.
Visit nxtstepadvisors.com to get started.

Or connect with Colby on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colby-morris/

• Colby's LinkedIn Profile
• Things Leaders Do Instagram