NextGen Succession Coaching

Accendo partners leverage their deep executive experience working with successful family firms to help the next generation succeed as effective leaders of the enterprise. Accendo partners have decades of experience leading and working with closely-held companies, as well as teaching the next generation as executives-in-residence and guest lecturers at multiple colleges and universities. Accendo’s NextGen Succession Coaching methodology is a disciplined approach, which establishes a leadership roadmap for the participant and is executed over time by the aspiring leader. Accendo partners work with the NextGen leader to develop the roadmap, help to mobilize required resources and support, and serve as the coach and accountability partner through the process.

NexGen leaders who are successful with the NextGen Succession Coaching process, display three crucial characteristics:

• Effective leadership is about having the courage to try new things that take you out of your comfort zone. Successful leaders have the ability to learn from mistakes and persevere.

• Successful leaders must balance courage and humility in order to be effective. True leadership is about earning the respect of those you lead by doing, listening and asking for feedback. An effective leader is a self-aware leader.

• Achieving sustainable leadership success requires a mindful approach, disciplined execution and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Accendo’s NextGen Succession Coaching is typically a multi-year engagement. The beginning stage of development of the NextGen leader, balanced by the end goal, predictably determines the time horizon of the process.

Depending on the level of readiness of the NextGen Leader, key action steps in the process could include:

• Conduct a current state, baseline assessment of the NextGen leader’s preparedness for a leadership role, including interviews with key stakeholders familiar with the NextGen leader and the needs of the business asset.

• Develop a leadership roadmap and career plan for the NextGen leader that would be executed in phases over time.

• Establish a “NextGen Leader” succession team comprised of internal and external participants and advisors to support the progress along the way. Candidates for this would all be invested in the NextGen Leader’s success and might include senior members of business operations, human resources, and other key personnel relevant to the NextGen Leader’s leadership goals. Additionally, advisors in key learning areas would be enlisted on an as needed basis.

• Assess and develop the Emotional Intelligence (EI) of the NextGen Leader. EI is a key ingredient for successful leadership, and is comprised of four dimensions -- self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. This would include establishing a baseline for their level of EI, develop an improvement plan and measure progress over time. As a first step, the NextGen Leader would complete professional and personal assessments, such as StrengthsFinders and DISC, to begin to develop the self-awareness dimension of EI.

• Create a community engagement plan that would over time appropriately raise the NextGen Leader’s profile, get them involved in key community efforts and prepare them for leadership in the community as a representative of the family and its business.

• Develop an immersion rotation within the business asset to provide the NextGen Leader with hands on experience within all of the key departments, working in substantive and meaningful roles.

• Identify two or three meaningful and substantive step-up management opportunities for the NextGen Leader to serve in.

• Identify two or three “friendly” benchmarking targets for the NextGen Leader to visit, shadow and learn from.

• Identify leadership behavioral goals that would improve the NextGen Leader’s leadership impact and develop action plans to help them accomplish their goals.

• Develop and finalize an After Action Plan for the NextGen Leader’s sustainable leadership role.