When the Chair Is Already Empty: How to Build a Succession Plan While You’re Scrambling

You didn’t plan for this.

Someone just gave notice. Or worse, they already left. And now you’re staring at a critical leadership seat that’s suddenly empty. The rest of the team is looking at you for direction. Projects are on hold. Decisions are bottlenecked. And the clock is ticking.

If you’re in this spot right now, take a deep breath. You’re not alone. Many leaders find themselves in this situation at some point, scrambling to fill a key role while trying to keep everything else moving. It’s stressful. It’s frustrating. And it’s not how you wanted things to go.

As messy as it feels, it can be a turning point. Even if your organization hasn’t built a formal succession plan, you can still regain stability now and put a system in place that makes the next transition smoother.

This newsletter is not about guilt or theory. It’s about practical, clear next steps for leaders who are already in the middle of it.

Let’s get to work.

Start with Stabilization: What Can't Be Dropped Right Now?

Before you dive into replacements or restructure your org chart, slow down and stabilize. Ask yourself three things:

• What decisions or deliverables are time-sensitive this week?

• Which responsibilities are most critical to operations?

• Who else on the team can temporarily carry part of the load?

Think function over title. Break down the role into smaller parts and assign urgent pieces to trusted team members. Even temporary coverage makes a huge difference in keeping momentum.

It does not need to be perfect. It just needs to keep the wheels turning.

Before Posting the Job, Look Internally

The temptation is to immediately go find someone new. But before you look outside, take a fresh look inside your team.

Chances are, someone already knows parts of the role. They may have been stepping up already in quiet ways. They may not be 100 percent ready, but they might be 70 or 80 percent there, and with some support, they could thrive.

Ask yourself:

• Who understands the mission and lives it out every day?

• Who takes ownership, even when they are not asked?

• Who’s been hungry to grow?

You might find your next leader is already right there. Delegating a stretch goal/role can temporarily give you some more breathing room as well as help you see potential leadership.

Start Succession Planning While You’re in the Fire

Succession planning isn’t only for calm seasons. It can begin during a crisis. In fact, this may be the most honest time to assess where your leadership pipeline is strong and where it’s thin.

Make a Simple Readiness Map

Pull out a piece of paper or a spreadsheet and list your key leadership roles. For each one, answer these questions:

• Who is ready now?

• Who is ready with 6 to 12 months of development?

• Who is a promising future leader with long-term potential?

Even a rough draft can bring surprising clarity.

Then meet with the people you trust. Be transparent. Let them know there’s an opportunity ahead, and you’re thinking about how to grow from here.

Ask about their career goals. Share where you see strengths. Even a short development conversation can light a spark and help someone feel seen and valued.

This is not about making promises you can’t keep. It’s about starting honest, forward-looking conversations.

Document as You Go

While you’re redistributing responsibilities or navigating handoffs, take notes. Capture what used to live in the person’s head: processes, contacts, checklists, and unwritten rules.

Start a shared folder for every key role and drop in whatever you can. It doesn’t need to be pretty. It just needs to be available.

Documentation is one of the biggest gifts you can give your future self and your team. It turns institutional knowledge into something that lasts.

Once you get past the immediate crunch, it’s time to put a system in place. This is where true succession planning begins to take root.

It does not need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler it is, the more likely it is to last.

Quarterly Leadership Bench Reviews

Every 90 days, look at your team chart and ask:

• Who is ready for more responsibility?

• What gaps are emerging?

• Where do we need to build capacity?

Make this part of your regular strategy meetings so it never slips too far off the radar.

You’re Not Too Late. You’re Just Starting Now.

It’s easy to feel behind when someone leaves. But the reality is this: almost no one builds a perfect plan before they need it. Most great succession systems begin in the mess.

You don’t need to fix everything overnight. You just need to start moving in the right direction.

Take care of today. Talk to your team. Make the handoffs clear.

Because every time you build clarity, coach someone forward, or capture key knowledge, you are building stability.

And stability is what allows your team to trust that no matter who leaves or what changes, the mission keeps moving forward.

Power Questions to Guide the Process

Here are questions you can ask yourself and your leadership team as you go:

• Who would step in if I had to step away for a month?

• What parts of this role are mission-critical, and who else understands them?

• Who are we unintentionally overlooking because they are quiet but capable?

• What knowledge are we at risk of losing if someone leaves tomorrow?

• Are we growing leaders intentionally, or hoping they figure it out on their own?

You don’t have to build this system alone. If you want help mapping roles, developing your next generation of leaders, or creating a succession plan that is simple, clear, and repeatable, I’d be honored to support you.

Reach out any time. Whether you need help stabilizing now or building long-term momentum, I’m here to walk through it with you.

Because leadership transitions don’t have to be a crisis, they can be an opportunity to grow stronger.