Transitions at the Top. Ciampa Dan

and their CEOs to have a more arm's-length relationship, they require nothing that prevents a partnership relationship. It is a matter of having it as an important goal and putting in the effort to make it happen.

      In Chapter 4 we also examine the formation of the relationship between the board and the new leader. Starting in the first interview, both parties share responsibility to shape a relationship that is positive and constructive, with the CEO playing a pivotal role. In addition, we look closely at the impact on that relationship of how the board intends to judge the new leader's performance and how it sets expectations for the new leader to eventually become CEO.

      The two parts of the board's role in a top-level transition, then, are to be accountable for the transition and to adroitly manage the relationships with the CEO and the new leader. That role depends on three imperatives. The first imperative to ensure both parts of this role is to provide oversight that is both wise and useful for the transition. That often comes down to finding the right balance between backing off too much to avoid intruding on the CEO's responsibilities and being too involved.

      The second imperative necessary for the board to fulfill its role is to enable the CEO to exit gracefully and at the right time while also enabling the new leader to master what she must in order to meet the company's emerging challenges as well as the political reality of her entry.

      The third imperative is to pay particular attention to the culture and its political dynamics as the transition goes through its various steps. This chapter identifies specific actions that boards can take to do so that enable them to stay within their role while still being actively engaged.

       The CEO's Role

      Chapter 5 concentrates on the role of the CEO in a leadership transition. This role has two major parts: to direct the design and implementation of the transition's various steps, and to ensure that the CEO's successor assimilates effectively into the organization and, ultimately, moves up to the top position.

      The first part requires that certain standard elements be in place that are important to any handoff, such as expectations and roles being clear, the right amount of communication, ways to measure progress, and ensuring that the transition is on the agenda of each major player. The key here is an organized, efficient process. The second part requires the CEO to believe that the success of the person who next steps into the CEO position is the final, important objective on his watch. We explore how CEOs fulfill this priority.

      Of course, the way the CEO performs each is always tailored to the situation and personalities involved. We describe two cases where each CEO took a different path toward the same objective of a successor successfully taking hold. One CEO took on the role of counselor to his successor, coaching him actively and throughout the transition. The other CEO became an instructor, ensuring the new leader grasped what she had to and that she had the help needed to shape the relationships that were going to be most important, especially ones with managers who would end up reporting to her. These were different approaches with each fitting the situation that existed in each company, and that fit the personalities and abilities of each CEO.

      Three imperatives must be handled well by the CEO in order for this role to be fulfilled and the transition to be directed effectively as the new leader moves up. The first is that the CEO control the steps and pace of the transition process. This starts with choosing the entry point and position in the organization for the new leader. The next step is the CEO clarifying his mental image of the optimal person to be his successor, of how they will interact once she is aboard, and what the handoff should be like if it works smoothly and effectively. The next element necessary to control steps and pace is for the search process to be juxtaposed and to overlap effectively with the process for the transition. This chapter explores each in detail and describes the points of overlap as well as potential tensions and problems.

      The second imperative for the CEO is to ensure the other major players do what they must for the transition's success. We explore how the CEO can do so in ways ranging from the bully pulpit of his office to his personal persuasiveness to various ways to involve and educate. We also see why it is particularly important to involve in the transition the senior managers (that is, the CEO's direct reports) who will eventually report to the new leader.

      The third imperative is the CEO's own self-management and self-awareness as she passes the mantle of authority to her successor. The CEO must manage her own emotions during this time, one that can be quite stressful for any leader. She must also sharpen her awareness of her impact on others as the handoff proceeds. The degree that the CEO can do both effectively will go a long way to determining how well she hands over authority to her successor. It will also in large part determine the state of mind in which she leaves the organization as well as how employees will view her as she walks away. While it is difficult to move into the top spot for a new leader, it can be just as hard to leave it. For the CEO who has devoted significant time and energy to leading the company, departing raises important questions of what has been accomplished, what is being left behind, and what is next for the CEO. Chapter 5 looks in detail at ways the CEO can address these crucial questions.

       The CHRO's Role

      Chapter 6 looks at the role of the chief human resources officer (CHRO) in a transition at the top. While the board is accountable and the CEO must direct the transition, the CHRO's role in a top-level transition is divided into two parts. First, he is the one who should ensure each step operates as it should, that they all fit together in the right way, and that there is the appropriate degree of coordination with related activities such as the search process. It is also to the CHRO that falls the responsibility for the new leader's assimilation into the organization and also communication to the organization about the transition. This includes ensuring each transition step operates as it must; that the various parts of the process fit together to form a general system where one part interacts appropriately with others; and that the execution of the major tasks is smooth, efficient, and effective.

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      D. Ciampa and M. Watkins, Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role (Harvard Business School Press, 1999), 3.

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      C. Lucier, P. Kocourek, and R. Habbell, “CEO Succession 2005: The Crest of the Wave,” Strategy+Business, May 30, 2006, accessed November 1

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D. Ciampa and M. Watkins, Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role (Harvard Business School Press, 1999), 3.

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C. Lucier, P. Kocourek, and R. Habbell, “CEO Succession 2005: The Crest of the Wave,” Strategy+Business, May 30, 2006, accessed November 13, 2014, http://www.strategy-business.com/article/06210?pg=all

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N. Stoddard