ABSTRACT
The exit and legacy of leaders can have an impact which rivals the reign of a leader. This chapter explains about part of a large research project on 200 retiring leaders. It considers why leaders’ ascents capture the high beams while leaders’ departures are left in shadows. The chapter draws on parallels between business leaders as visionaries in their ability to deliver plans for the future. The three core dimensions can be thought of as three sets of tensions: those within the leader; those across generations of leaders; and those between leaders and their constituents. The chapter examines each of these tensions by looking first at the personal retirement dilemma, next the succession struggle across generations, and at the community’s need for a smooth transition between leaders. Leaders can become both attached to their public exposure and their public impact. How a leader leaves office is as important to his or her constituents as how the office is acquired.
