In today’s evolving business landscape, the need for agile leadership is more critical than ever. Yet many organizations still rely on outdated upskilling and succession planning models that fail to anticipate the dynamic needs of the future.
A modern approach, one that deeply integrates succession planning with business strategy and workforce planning, is now essential to building a resilient leadership pipeline.
From reactive to proactive: Integrating talent and strategy
Organizations must shift from a reactive approach to being more integrated by embedding succession planning into annual reviews and business planning cycles. This ensures that leadership development is a continuous process that aligns with broader organizational goals.
To do this, companies must hold robust conversations about their strategic direction and create business plans to use as the foundation for succession planning. By identifying where the business needs to go and what skills are required to get there, organizations can shape their leadership pipeline and ensure they have the skills necessary to adapt.
Spotting ambition, fostering leadership
A strong succession pipeline combines formal and informal approaches to identify and foster the next generation of leaders. Leaders at all levels are encouraged to identify associates with leadership potential, not only through structured assessments but also by observing day-to-day performance and ambition.
Another simple way to identify potential future leaders is by directly asking associates about their interest in leadership and providing opportunities to help surface talent that might otherwise be overlooked.
At UScellular, we created the Emerging Leader Program to introduce associates without prior leadership experience to the fundamentals of effective leadership, both within the company and beyond. The program also supports current leaders by providing cross-functional development opportunities, intentionally rotating them through different roles and responsibilities to strengthen their skills. This not only enhances their professional growth but also drives greater impact for the organization.
Encouraging employees to take agency over their careers by seeking out opportunities and demonstrating initiative is equally important. When leaders see this drive, it can be a powerful indicator of future leadership potential.
Upskilling for strategic thinking and cognitive agility
Post-mortems on succession outcomes often reveal that even top talent may lack cognitive agility, a skill that is increasingly vital for modern leaders.
Organizations must honestly assess whether these developmental opportunities exist internally and, when necessary, seek outside support or training. One upskilling strategy UScellular incorporated for its associates is to collaborate with universities and third-party workshops to create specialized courses focused on strategic thinking and enterprise leadership.
Cross-functional opportunities are also designed to help emerging leaders build cognitive agility. By encouraging leaders to step into unfamiliar roles, organizations help them learn quickly, fail fast and apply lessons broadly.
For example, high-potential IT professionals aspiring to become senior leaders may need experience in both engineering and supply chain management to become well-rounded candidates — it’s up to each organization to create these opportunities for employees to develop skill sets in alternative business sectors. This not only develops adaptable leaders but also strengthens the organization as a whole.
Building organizational resilience through succession planning
A strong succession plan does more than fill leadership roles; it fosters resilience. By deliberately moving high-potential talent into challenging roles and allowing them to “fail fast,” organizations allow associates to grow and apply what they’ve learned.
When fast learning cycles are supported and talent strategies are aligned with business goals, a culture of continuous development emerges. This approach equips leaders to face unexpected challenges and ensures the organization can adapt and thrive, no matter what the future holds.
