ABSTRACT
Succession planning provides an organization with a surplus of talent by helping members realize their potential, which should not be confused with performance. In order to address these deficiencies, Jacqueline E. King and Gigi G. Gomez recommend that institutions of higher learning identify, mentor, and promote diverse pools of internal candidates through succession planning. The most important ingredient for a successful succession plan is probably the attitude of the leadership. Few people can develop their potential without organizational support, and that begins at the top. Highly successful organizations have a critical mass of passionate advocates who understand that succession planning is the key to sustainability. Some organizations do succession planning within units, while others take a more global approach, looking for potential across units, but all successful enterprises are engaged in some sort of talent management, whether they do it openly or in secret.
