Planning the succession of the CEO is the most important task facing Boards and CEOs of thriving companies. Statistics tell a shocking tale: most CEOs, particularly those from the outside—fail to meet objectives and don’t survive their first two years. Many of these failures are due to an inaccurate assessment of fit between the individual and the specific challenges of the company and the culture.
The best case scenario is a Board with an adequate pipeline of internal leaders who can be compared with external candidates. Such benchmarking involves careful C-level succession planning and candid conversations about what the company really needs from leaders.
MDA partners with Boards and CEOs to deliver CEO Selection and C-Level Succession Planning services. The MDA approach is a rare balance of deep psychological rigor and business acumen. MDA Founder and CEO, Sandra Davis, leads a team of senior executive consultants who build a CEO Blueprint that unites the Board and CEO in agreement about the profile for the successful future CEO. From that blueprint, the MDA team:
The MDA team is uniquely positioned to understand the subtle, but powerful differences between typical senior executives and people who are capable of being effective CEOs. The leadership assessment approach uncovers the five key differentiators and the most likely derailers for every candidate—internal and external.
And, MDA consultants add value by helping facilitate healthy communication between Board members and the CEO about the leadership needs of the organization. When done right, internal executives competing for the job of CEO stay engaged and interested in the organization—even when they will not be considered for the CEO.
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