Choosing Your Next Leader: Identify, Educate & Train Future Leaders

Why Choosing Your Next Leader Requires More Than Promoting Your Best Performer

Miscommunication and unmet expectations remain top causes of leadership failure — especially when organizations choose the wrong person to lead. Understanding what leadership truly requires is essential when choosing your next leader.

All too often, organizations find themselves behind the eight ball when it comes to replacing leadership positions. Whether they assume nobody will ever leave, retire, or (God forbid) pass away, they quickly end up in reactive mode rather than proactive planning.

The common result?

They promote their best operator — the best nurse, best engineer, best machine operator, best analyst — and then wonder why everything falls apart. They lose their best performer and gain an overwhelmed leader who has no idea how to fulfill the role.

Leadership Is Its Own Entity

Leadership has its own set of skills that require explanation, practice, and continuous refinement. Effective leaders must:

• Balance accountability with compassion

• Use action plans to grow people

• Understand how to integrate their “three brains” into calm, rational decision-making

• Build relationships that move the team toward excellence

If you're going to get this right, you must take three proactive steps to ensure your organization can handle adversity, change, and future growth.

Step 1: IDENTIFY Your Future Leaders

Start today—and treat this as a core responsibility. Every leader should be working to find and develop their replacement. Any organization that waits until the need arises is already behind, and the resulting learning curve will cost time, performance, and morale.

So what are you looking for?

• People others naturally gravitate toward

• Consistent finishers—people who complete assignments and follow through

• Stable attitudes toward change

• Individuals who look for the good in situations and people

• People with a naturally optimistic or healthy disposition

Attitude is hard to train. Look for those who already demonstrate it.

Step 2: EDUCATE Your Future Leaders

Once you identify potential leaders, it’s time to teach them what leadership truly is — at every level of your organization.

Leadership requires mastery of many skills, including:

• Critical thinking

• Problem solving

• Identifying strengths and weaknesses

• Conducting effective one-on-one meetings

• Writing and implementing action plans

• Building and growing teams

It takes time — often a long time — to build a capable, confident leader. Education must begin early.

Step 3: TRAIN Your Future Leaders

Education and training are not the same thing.

A college graduate may be educated — but not trained. Real training comes from doing, and from having structured opportunities to practice leadership before the stakes are high.

Training includes:

• Conducting real one-on-one meetings

• Writing action plans for individuals and teams

• Leading small projects

• Building teams to accomplish outcomes

• Making mistakes in a low-risk environment

Mistakes are part of learning. Would you rather your future leader make mistakes during training or when they are “live” and the entire team is depending on them?

IDENTIFY. EDUCATE. TRAIN.

Three steps that prepare your organization not just to reach the top, but to stay there.

Many companies surge forward for a moment but fall back without a sustainable leadership pipeline. The real winners understand that leadership development must be proactive, intentional, and ongoing.

IDENTIFY your future leaders. EDUCATE them early. TRAIN them intentionally.

The drive to the top should not end at the top — it should be the beginning of a long, long run at the top.

Help Your Team Define What Leadership Really Means

If you want to give your future leaders clarity, confidence, and a framework they can rely on, explore our Defining Leadership workbook. It helps individuals understand the mindset, behaviors, and processes required to lead well.