Succession planning—whether for the CEO, the executive team, or the board itself—is not a one-time event. It is the ongoing practice of preparing for tomorrow while leading well today
We’ve all seen it happen. A long-serving board member announces at their final meeting, “This will be my last term,” and suddenly everyone scrambles to find “someone we know” to fill the seat. Or a CEO retires after decades of service, and the board realizes they have no clear path forward. These moments can feel urgent, but they don’t need to feel chaotic.
Succession planning—whether for the CEO, the executive team, or the board itself—is not a one-time event. It is the ongoing practice of preparing for tomorrow while leading well today. For faith-based organizations especially, the way we plan for leadership transitions reflects our deepest values: stewardship, community, and humility. We don’t cling to control; we prepare the way for others.
Why Boards Avoid Succession Planning (and Why They Shouldn’t)
Succession planning often gets pushed aside because it feels uncomfortable. Who wants to imagine the day their trusted CEO or board chair will no longer be in the role? But ignoring the conversation doesn’t make reality disappear. In fact, it increases the risk of crisis and instability.
A wise board keeps succession on the agenda—not just once a decade, but continuously. That means annual conversations about readiness, bench strength in the executive team, and board renewal. In other words, transitions are not interruptions to the mission; they are part of faithfully stewarding it. This is usually a task or role for the Governance Committee of the board.
Bad Habits vs. Better Practices
Let’s be honest—most boards have fallen into at least one of these patterns:
- Bad Habit: Filling board seats with friends, relatives, or the “people we happen to know.”
Better Practice: Using a skills-and-perspectives matrix to ask: What expertise, lived experiences, and voices are missing from this table? - Bad Habit: Treating board succession like a college application season—scrambling only when vacancies appear.
Better Practice: Making succession an ongoing process, cultivating relationships with potential board members years before you need them.
As with many things in board governance, intentionality makes all the difference.
The Anabaptist Lens: Community and Discernment
Our Anabaptist tradition reminds us that leadership is not about power but about service. It is about shared discernment, not individual ambition. When we think about succession through that lens, a few things become clear:
- Community matters. The strength of our boards comes from collective wisdom, not just one voice. By intentionally seeking diverse perspectives—across age, gender, culture, and professional background—we enrich our capacity to serve faithfully.
- Discernment takes time. Rushed decisions often reflect convenience, not calling. Planning ahead allows space for prayer, listening, and thoughtful discernment about who is equipped to lead.
- Humility sustains us. Leaders who prepare for their own transition model humility. They remind us that our organizations are bigger than any one person.
In short, ongoing succession planning isn’t just good governance—it’s an expression of our values.
In looking ahead, consider:
- Reflecting. Ask yourself: How does our board approach succession planning today? Are we cultivating new leaders, or just waiting until vacancies arise?
- Sharing. Bring this conversation to your governance or executive committee. A simple question—“What would happen if our CEO or board chair left tomorrow?”—can spark meaningful dialogue.
- Acting. Review your practices, and if you need a place to start, take advantage of the tools available to you.
For a practical tool, see our Board Chair Toolkit, available to all members. This resource offers tips and frameworks to help board chairs lead succession conversations with confidence.
Passing the baton in leadership should look less like a mad dash and more like a well-rehearsed relay. It requires foresight, discipline, and trust that others are ready to run their part of the race. For Anabaptist organizations, this is more than strategy—it is a way of living out our calling to steward resources, nurture community, and prepare for the future with humility and hope.