Transitions at the Top: What Organizations Must Do to Make Sure New Leaders Succeed

Ensure the Success of Critical C–Suite Transitions from Within

"Without a doubt, corporations have raised their game on the use of various techniques to improve the likelihood that externally hired talent will succeed in their most business–critical roles. What many companies haven′t done, however, is to spend the same amount of time on building a set of transition practices to further increase the probability these executives will thrive and prosper in their new roles and in their new companies. The cost of a failed transition is monumental, and comes in the form of missed market opportunities, a loss of business momentum, reputational damage, and potential damage to the credibility of the CEO and/or the company–s board of directors. Fortunately, Dan Ciampa and David Dotlich outline a practical, compelling playbook that if properly executed, will substantially increase the chance of success in senior leadership transitions. A timely and important book on a very important subject."
L. Kevin Cox, Chief Human Resources Officer, American Express Company; Director, Kraft Foods Group; Director, Corporate Executive Board

"Senior transitions are seminal events but are often botched, at great cost to the company and its shareholders. Too often succession decisions are made by a board, with those crucial first months then left entirely to the new manager to navigate. This book takes a different vantage point and illuminates the critical role of the company, its board, and senior managers in making sure those vital successions work. Written in a straightforward, practical manner, a must read for all involved."
Ken Leibler, former CEO of Liberty Financial Companies and former President of the American Stock Exchange; Director, Northeast Utilities; Trustee, Putnam Investments Funds

"Transitions at the Top is a welcome, long–overdue addition to our thinking about leadership and transitions. Far too little attention has been paid to the dynamics and consequences of CEO succession, especially to the critical role the organization plays in driving success or failure. As Ciampa and Dotlich clearly demonstrate, the costs of botched succession processes are very high. And what it takes to make them work is not rocket science, nor is it overly costly or burdensome. It just takes discipline, clarity about roles, and unswerving commitment to the right principles and processes. Follow their advice and the result will be world–class succession planning and implementation. This is a book that every CEO, Board member and senior HR executive should read."
Michael Watkins, Author of First 90 Days, Co–Founder of Genesis Advisors

Preface

Introduction

Chapter One: Complexity and Critical Crossroads

Chapter Two: Three Destructive Myths

Chapter Three: Errors of Execution

Chapter Four: The Role of the Board

Chapter Five: The CEO s Role

Chapter Six: The CHRO Role

Chapter Seven: The Senior Manager s Role

Chapter Eight: Summary

DAN CIAMPA is an advisor on CEO transitions, operations improvement, culture change, and top–level organization for implementing new strategies. He was chairman and CEO for Rath & Strong, Inc., and named by Businessweek as among the top five CEO advisors. He is author of four other books, including Right from the Start, with Michael Watkins. For more on his background, see www.danciampa.com.

DAVID L. DOTLICH, PHD, is president of Pivot Leadership, a Korn Ferry company, and is an advisor and coach to CEOs and boards of companies such as Telstra, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Ericsson, and DPDHL. He is an entrepreneur who has started, grown, and sold two large companies and is a former executive vice president of Honeywell International. He is the author of 12 books on leadership and has been named one of the Top 50 Coaches in the United States.