The great Peter Drucker once observed that succession is the CEO’s most important job. With many Baby Boomers looking for the exits, those in that cohort who lead organizations are facing what maybe the most important decision of their careers: Who will hold this job after me?
As a CEO you may not have sole discretion over this decision, but you can certainly influence it. A few lessons from one of the greatest organizations of all time may help: the Roman Empire.
While guilty of some repugnant practices, the Empire was an incredible achievement of organization that lasted for 700 years, as a republic, for almost 400 as an empire and set the stage for Western Civilization. Not every emperor picked a good successor, but some did, and we can learn from their successes and mistakes. What would our world look like had any of them chosen differently?
A short article from Chief Executive Magazine offers “Lessons from Ancient Rome On The Art of Succession.”
