Succession planning: Knowing when to “get out of the way” is good leadership!

In the U.S. we will soon be heading into the full swing of an election year (with our Election Day on November 5th). As things currently stand, we have a repeat of Joe Biden versus Donald Trump. So our choice will be between an 82-year-old white male and a 78-year-old white male. A real example of how NOT to do leadership succession planning.

Is it just me, or is anyone else craving younger, more diverse representation for future leadership in politics?

Apart from any political views I may have, not having more relevant representation has me thinking about age diversity in politics. There are over 255 million voting-age citizens. In 2022, approximately 64% of the US population is below 50 years old. Regardless of their policies, are Joe Biden and Donald Trump really the best people to steer the US into the future, and can they best represent a country at this late stage of life?

In 2020 I felt concerned about the choice before us, yet here we are again, heading for a repeat. I come from a business background, so this perspective shapes my thinking about the role of an elder. In business, there is something called ‘Succession Planning’, where the younger workforce is prepared for leadership long before they actually take over control. It’s not always done well, but it is common practice. It simply is the responsible thing to do.

Our human ego is pretty powerful for each of us – and it can easily inflate our self-worth. It’s not unusual for our ego to convince us (especially successful, driven leaders who have relied on their work for their identity), that there is no one else who could do our job as well as we can. Correct, let’s assume you are uniquely qualified. But here’s the thing: we don’t need a clone of you to do just as well, if not better. Others may also be uniquely qualified and competent to get the job done – in a different way. Why are we not focusing more on preparing others to stand on our shoulders? Why are we, once again, choosing between Biden and Trump? Where is the young talent hidden? Where is the focus on building future political leadership and setting them up to succeed?

According to a Deloitte study on effective succession planning, the benefits of doing it well include: “a more diverse portfolio of leaders, higher quality decisions around promotion, retention of top talent, stronger organizational culture, a ‘future-proofed’ workforce, and greater organizational stability and resilience.”

It works in the business world, so why are we not seeing this successfully done in politics? It’s not just the two men campaigning to be our President for the following four years. It’s rampant in leadership roles in US politics on both sides of the aisle. Whether it’s Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Or Nancy Pelosi or Mitch McConnel. The list goes on.

The minimum age requirement to become a Senator in the US is 30 years old. Currently, the average age in the House of Representatives is 57.9 years, and the average age in the Senate is 64 years. Why are the “elders” not making room for the younger generations? And generously preparing them for the role ahead?

Let’s get back to the ego for a minute. When listening to the rationale of the elderly leaders in the US, it goes something like this: “The stakes are too high right now, and I am the only one with the experience to hold up the Democracy in the US.” Or, “I am the best person to represent and implement the values of the US.” Or, “I simply have the experience needed.” Or, “without me, we will lose this seat.” Who knows, maybe they’re just that electable. But here is my response: If they are indeed the best candidates for the role (questionable, but that’s not what I am arguing here), then they have not done their succession planning sufficiently.

Each of us has to have those conversations with ourselves to know where we can contribute meaningfully, and determine where our “good” can be best realized. Including when to step out of the limelight. I want to see more focus on building future, more relevant leaders by our elders. At the end of the day, if our elders fail in succession planning, we all lose.

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