Unplanned exits, unready teams: Why leadership continuity is a resilience imperative
In the last year alone, CEO turnover reached historic highs across the S&P 500. Leadership changes are surging, driven by burnout, activist pressure, and shifting board expectations. But while headlines focus on who’s leaving, the real story is who (and what) comes next.
When senior leaders exit without warning or preparation, the disruption isn’t just internal. It ripples through markets, erodes trust, and exposes operational gaps that even the best crisis plans can’t patch in real time.
Leadership continuity Is often overlooked
Many organizations build detailed crisis protocols for operational risk, but few have rigorously tested plans for leadership succession during volatile periods. A change at the top amid a crisis doesn’t just double the stress, it changes the nature of the response.
Leadership transition is a resilience challenge. One that blends cultural cohesion, communication clarity, governance readiness, and decision fluency across layers.
The costs of succession gaps
Recent analysis shows that many boards struggle to identify internal candidates when forced into a fast succession cycle (Business Insider). And interim appointments, while sometimes stabilizing, often lack the authority or strategic mandate to lead through uncertainty.
Compounding the issue, trust in leadership is increasingly volatile. The latest Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that employees are more likely to believe their CEO should speak to societal and ethical challenges, not just performance metrics (Edelman Trust).
This expanding role puts greater pressure on new leaders to establish voice, vision, and alignment rapidly. It’s a high-stakes handoff.
Embedding leadership continuity in resilience planning
Resilient organizations treat leadership pipelines like critical infrastructure. That means:
Regularly stress-testing succession plans under adverse conditions.
Building interim protocols that preserve authority and direction.
Cultivating shared situational awareness and values alignment across executive teams.
Preparing successor candidates not just to "step in," but to lead under pressure.
Leadership isn’t a static position. It’s a capability distributed across the enterprise—and your ability to sustain it under duress is a defining test of resilience.
Conclusion: The best time to prepare Is before it’s urgent
If your crisis strategy doesn’t include leadership continuity planning, it’s incomplete. Because when the phone rings at midnight, it might not be an operational failure. It might be the chair of the board.
