It is difficult to define the leadership of the future in clear-cut terms. Succession planning therefore needs to be about more than who is next in line for a senior role. The question is instead what situations future leaders will face and what capabilities they will need to navigate them. The starting point must be the organisation’s future direction, not today’s roles or individuals.

Strategic succession planning looks beyond filling vacancies to the leadership a company will need in the years ahead. Lars Navéus of Alumni Global describes how nomination committees, owners and CEOs use market mapping and benchmarking to prepare for board and executive transitions, sometimes building relationships with future leaders years before a role opens.