If you’re in a leadership role, you’ve probably thought about it, maybe late at night or in passing. What happens when I’m not here anymore?
It’s not a comfortable question. Which is why many leaders put it off, avoid it, or assume it’ll work itself out. But succession doesn’t start when someone new is named. It starts with the mindset of the person stepping down.
And that mindset can make or break everything that comes next.
When stepping down means letting go
Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, knows what this feels like. In an interview with Entrepreneur, he shared how hard it was to hand over the reins, not because he didn’t believe in Reed Hastings, but because stepping aside meant facing the loss of control, status, and identity. As he put it, “My instinct was to be the one in charge… but eventually I realized that the best thing I could do for the company was to get out of the way.”
That’s the dilemma at the heart of succession: the tension between what’s best for the organization and what feels safest to the ego.
The ego trap: why legacy-focused exits often backfire
It’s easy to fall into the legacy mindset. After all, you’ve built something. You’ve poured years into it. You want it to last, and you want to be remembered for it.
That’s human. But it gets tricky.
When protecting your legacy becomes the main goal, succession starts to serve you, not the organization. You might delay naming a successor. Or choose someone who won’t challenge your way of doing things. Or hold onto key relationships and information so you stay “essential.”
And what does that create? Gaps. Frustration. Power struggles. A shaky culture. The very things that can undo everything you’ve worked to build.
Ironically, trying to protect your legacy this way often weakens it.
What humility looks like in succession (and why it works)
Humility in succession isn’t just about being “nice” or quietly bowing out. It’s actively preparing the organization to succeed without you — not in theory, but in practice.
So what does that look like, day to day?
- You bring your potential successor into key meetings months (or years) before the handoff.
They’re in the room for major decisions. They speak, make calls, and get face time with the board. You’re still leading, but they’re learning on the job, not from the sidelines.
- You share what you’ve learned the hard way.
You document what worked and what didn’t, open up about your mistakes, and make time for mentoring. You stop seeing information as a power source and start treating it as a legacy you can hand off.
- You gradually shift authority.
Instead of a sudden baton pass, you start stepping back bit by bit. First, you let them lead team offsites. Then, you give them full ownership of a business unit. Eventually, you ask them to loop you in, not the other way around.
- You give them space to lead in their own style.
Maybe they’re not as loud. Or as analytical. Or as operational. That’s okay. You’re not trying to clone yourself, you’re preparing someone to lead in the way the company needs next.
Planning beyond personality
Even when a leader is deeply committed to a smooth transition, the process can’t rely on goodwill alone. Succession planning needs structure. That means putting in place systems and processes that support the transition regardless of who’s in the top seat.
That includes:
- Documenting key roles and responsibilities — not just for the CEO, but across the executive team.
- Creating a repeatable process — one that’s reviewed regularly and adjusted as the business evolves.
- Involving HR early and often — using their lens to spot leadership gaps and prepare internal candidates.
- Building a leadership pipeline — through training, exposure, and real responsibility, not just promises.
A plan built on structure and foresight, not just personality and loyalty, makes for a much smoother handoff — and a stronger organization over time.
Examples
Bill Gates didn’t wait until retirement to hand over responsibility. He gradually stepped away from day-to-day decisions, brought in strong operators like Steve Ballmer, and mentored leaders like Satya Nadella long before Nadella took the CEO role.
Howard Schultz at Starbucks did the same. When he passed the baton to Kevin Johnson, he didn’t hover or second-guess. He stayed available but let Johnson lead, and it showed in the company’s continued momentum.
That’s humility in action. Not passive or soft. Just deeply committed to something bigger than self — the future of the team, the company, and the mission.
Building a culture that doesn’t break when you leave
When you leave, the real test begins.
Your departure becomes a pressure test, not just on the next person in charge but on the culture you’ve created. Will things hold steady? Or will they start to fray the moment you’re gone?
The board and other key stakeholders play a crucial role in this moment. Their trust — or lack of it — in the new leader can either reinforce stability or amplify uncertainty. That’s why clear communication and early alignment with the board are essential parts of any leadership handoff. A successor should be more than introduced — they should be backed, seen, and understood well before the transition is public.
That all comes down to how the culture was built and who it was built around.
In a humble, resilient culture:
- Decisions are shared, not hoarded. Your leadership team is used to stepping up, not waiting for direction.
- Wins are team-wide. Credit is distributed, not concentrated. People feel ownership, not just compliance.
- The values are lived, not just stated. New leaders already reflect them — you don’t need to enforce them from the sidelines.
This is the kind of environment Alan Mulally stepped into at Ford. Even though the company was in crisis, the leadership team was committed and experienced. The groundwork for collaboration and accountability was already there. What Ford needed wasn’t reprogramming, just leadership.
In a legacy-centered, fragile culture:
- You’re the sole decision-maker. When you’re not in the room, things stall.
- People are loyal to you, not the mission. Once you leave, morale dips or power struggles emerge.
- The vision lives in your head. No one else really knows the why behind the strategy.
Think of Uber under Travis Kalanick. The aggressive, founder-centric culture unraveled when he left. Or Disney’s confusing transition from Bob Iger to Bob Chapek, where the lines of power blurred, and trust across the company eroded.
If the organization is built around the leader, it often falls apart when they go. But if the leader has built into the organization — empowering others, spreading ownership, living the values — the transition becomes just that: a transition, not a crisis.
So here’s the test: if you disappeared tomorrow, would your team keep moving forward with confidence?
If the answer isn’t a clear yes, there’s still time to start shifting how culture is shared and sustained. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen when humility leads the way.
Redefining your role after leadership
Another reason transitions get stuck is that the leader isn’t sure who they are without the title.
For years — maybe decades — the job was the identity. Every win, decision, and introduction started with your name. So when it’s time to step down, it’s not just a role you’re leaving. It’s the rhythm, status, and sense of self.
And it’s best to not ignore but prepare for it just as intentionally as you prepare the next person to take over.
That means asking what leadership will look like for you outside the org chart.
Here’s what that could mean in real terms:
- Becoming a mentor — not for everyone, but for a few promising leaders who’ll shape the future in their own way.
- Advising other companies — bringing your experience to new contexts without carrying the full weight of the role.
- Giving yourself space to reflect — not rushing into the next thing, but getting clear on what kind of impact actually matters to you now.
- Choosing purpose over presence — shifting from “being in the room” to influencing what happens because of the room you once shaped.
This kind of redefinition doesn’t happen by accident. It needs planning — emotionally and practically. But when it’s done right, it does two powerful things at once:
It gives you a future you can look forward to, and it gives your organization the space to move forward without looking back.
It might help to know you’re not alone — plenty of leaders have faced this same hurdle in the past. Many have lived to tell the tale.
Final thoughts: let your leadership live beyond you
A strong handoff doesn’t happen by accident. It takes self-awareness, trust, and a willingness to shape what comes next without needing to control it.
That includes how your ideas live on, not just inside the company but in the conversations that matter outside it.
At Column, we work with leaders to craft content that captures their thinking with clarity and authority. Not as a send-off, but as a starting point for what’s next.
If that’s where you’re headed, get in touch today.
Johnson is a Copywriter at Column, helping brands tell their stories with clear, impactful content. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
