The successor question is often settled by familiarity before the role has been defined. A family member, an internal executive and an outside chief executive can each be the right choice, but only against the demands of the next stage.
This Executive Insight shows how owners can define the mandate, test candidates on consequential decisions, and make the appointment credible by granting usable authority. It also sets out the responsible bridge when nobody is ready.
The article builds on Founder Bottleneck and The Right Transition and concentrates on the selection decision they leave open.
