Recipe #2: How to Cook Up Your Succession Planning Team (The Secret Ingredient is Listening)
- Harry T. Jones
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
Part 2 of the 7-week “Recipe for Executing a Succession Plan” series
Members of our Succession Planning For Impact Breakthrough groups share a common story: Being the “Answer-Man.”
They have spent decades being the “Answer-Man.”
If there was a problem with a niche retailer, a breakdown in the supply chain, or a conflict in the front office, you can guess who everyone looked for right? Playing that role was a badge of honor!
But then something shifted that changed everything: the very thing that made them great CEO’s was the exact thing that would make them terrible predecessors.
Staying the “Answer-Man” meant the business would die with them. To finish well, they had to stop having all the answers and start asking the right questions. But that couldn’t be done alone. It required a team.
Not a 20-person board. They needed a small, hand-picked “Succession Planning Team” to help them clear the fog.
Today, I’m giving you the exact recipe they are using to build yours
The Key Ingredients: What Makes a Great Team?
You don’t need a crowd; you need a kitchen full of wisdom. Here are the non-negotiables:
✅ A Small Batch: Start with just 2 or 3 people. Too many cooks in the kitchen leads to a mess.
✅ High-Grade Trust: If you can’t be 100% honest with them, they don’t belong on this team.
✅ Aligned Values: You need people who share your “North Star,” but…
✅ Their Own Voice: You do not want “Yes-Men.” You need people with the grit to tell you when the “soup is too salty.”
✅ Experienced Leaders: People who have been through the fire and come out stronger.
The Measurements and Timing: Get on the Calendar
A recipe only works if you give it the right amount of time to simmer.
The Monthly Rhythm: Schedule a monthly meeting (lunch? coffee?) with your leadership team.
The One-Topic Rule: At this meeting, you are only allowed to talk about one thing: Succession Planning for Impact. No “shop talk,” no fire-fighting. Just the future.
The Team Meeting: Meet with your Succession Planning Team at least once a month to review the plan and encourage them to ask the hard questions.
The Secret Sauce: From “Answer-Man” to “Question-Asker”
This is the hardest pivot you’ll ever make. To move from the known to the unknown, you have to start four specific conversations:
With God: Ask: What is He calling you to in this next season?
With Your Spouse: They know you better than anyone. What do they see that you’re missing?
With Your Advisors: Find people you trust. But also ask: Who else trusts them? You need truth-tellers you will listen to.
With Your Team: This is where it gets spicy. You must have healthy discourse. Conflict can be constructive if you’re actually listening.
Real Stories: The 51% Solution
We recently worked with a father and son who were stuck. They brought in an outside firm to interview 35 people in their organization because they wanted the honest truth.
They asked two critical questions: Is the successor (the son) qualified? and Does he actually have the DESIRE to lead?
The son realized his gift was building teams—different from his father’s gift. But here’s the kicker: The son eventually asked to buy 51% of the business instead of a 50/50 partnership. Why? Because he wanted to lead, and he wanted his relationship with his dad to be “Father and Son,” not “Contentious Partners.”
They trusted the process, they listened to each other, and today they are 10 years ahead of their original plan.
Action Steps: Start the Conversation Today
Ready to start your Mise en Place (remember, that’s French for ‘everything in its place’) for Recipe #2? Here is your homework:
✅ Identify your 2-3 “Kitchen Cabinet” members. Who are the truth-tellers in your life?
✅ Schedule that Monthly Lunch. Put it on the calendar for the next six months.
✅ Ask the “What do you want?” question. Ask your successor, ask your spouse, ask God, and most importantly, ask yourself.
As my friend Dudley says: “Learn what each other wants. Then get the timelines and terms in writing.”
If you can’t do the hard work of listening now, don’t expect your successor to be able to do it later.
Next week: Recipe #3: Recognizing Your Impact (The Heart of Why Your Business Matters)
P.S. One of our members recently said, “Clarity comes before breakthrough.” If you feel like you’re in a fog, it’s probably because you’re trying to cook alone. We have two spots available in our Finishing Well Breakthrough Groups. Let us be part of your team. Click here to learn more.
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