Quick Diagnostic — Successors
Being Named Is Not the Same as Being Ready
The Successor Readiness Diagnostic evaluates the gap between appointment and capability. It surfaces the specific dimensions where readiness is missing before the transition puts them on display.
Takes approximately 15 minutes. Produces a structured readiness report with scores across four dimensions and priority development areas. Includes an optional advisory session to walk through results.
The Gap the Diagnostic Measures
Most succession failures are not about the wrong person being chosen. They are about the right person being underprepared — and the transition revealing that in real time.
What "Named" Looks Like
- The outgoing leader has endorsed you publicly
- You have functional competence in your current role
- The team respects you as a senior colleague
- You have been involved in strategic discussions
- A transition timeline has been set
What "Ready" Looks Like
- You have been tested with real authority, not just observed
- The team follows you as a leader, not as a senior colleague
- Key clients have direct relationships with you independent of the outgoing leader
- You have made and owned consequential decisions
- You have a clear view of your own capability gaps
Four Dimensions the Diagnostic Evaluates
The diagnostic scores readiness across the four dimensions that determine whether a transition succeeds or stalls. Each produces a specific score and gap identification.
Leadership Authority
Whether you are genuinely leading or still managing. The difference between being respected as a peer and being followed as a leader.
- Does the team come to you for decisions, or still to the outgoing leader?
- Have you made decisions that others disagreed with and held your position?
- Do people outside your immediate team know you as the leader?
Stakeholder Confidence
Whether the people who matter — team, board, clients, partners — are confident in your leadership, not just familiar with your name.
- Have key stakeholders expressed confidence in you independently?
- Do investors or board members engage you directly, or route through the outgoing leader?
- Has the team tested your authority during a crisis or conflict?
Relationship Depth
Whether key client and partner relationships are personal to you or dependent on the outgoing leader remaining involved.
- Which key clients have you met independently, without the outgoing leader?
- Could you retain the top three clients if the outgoing leader left tomorrow?
- Do strategic partners know who you are and what you bring?
Strategic Capability
Whether you are thinking and operating at the level the role demands — not just executing within it.
- Are you setting strategy or implementing someone else's?
- Have you led through a significant business challenge without the outgoing leader's guidance?
- Do you have a clear view of where the business needs to go and what it will take?
What You Receive
The diagnostic produces a structured readiness report. Specific, scored, and actionable.
Readiness Score Across Four Dimensions
A separate score for each dimension — authority, stakeholder confidence, relationship depth, and strategic capability. You see exactly where you stand and where the gaps are.
Gap Identification and Priority Areas
Specific gaps within each dimension ranked by transition risk. The dimensions most likely to create problems during the transition are named explicitly.
Recommended Preparation Activities
Targeted preparation activities based on your scores. Not generic advice — specific actions tied to the gaps the diagnostic identified.
Advisory Session Included
An optional 30-minute session with our team to walk through the results, understand what the scores mean, and define the highest-leverage preparation priorities.
Know Where You Stand Before the Transition Decides
The gap between named and ready is measurable. The diagnostic gives you an honest picture of where it is — and what to work on before the transition makes it visible to everyone else.