Succession Management
Build Your Leadership Pipeline with Succession Management
Succession management isn’t just about filling leadership roles—it’s about building a sustainable leadership pipeline at all levels. Yet, organizations often don’t focus on succession planning until a key leader leaves suddenly.
Our research shows that 80% of organizations lack confidence in their leadership pipeline and half of external executive hires fail. When employees leave, companies often make rushed decisions about replacements without confidence that these individuals are truly ready.
An effective succession strategy depends on strong internal development, which creates organizational resilience, reduces costly transitions, and preserves valuable institutional knowledge. Investing in leaders' growth today ensures you won't have to guess who's ready—you'll know.
By the Numbers
Benefits of a High-Quality Succession Management Strategy
3.5X More Likely
to be recognized as a most admired company.
DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2025
2.9X More Likely
to achieve high internal promotion success rates.
DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2025
2.8X More Likely
to outperform industry peers financially.
DDI Global Leadership Forecast 2025
SUCCESSION MANAGEMENT
Building Your Bench: A Succession Solution for Emerging Executives
Emerging and current executives play a critical role in creating and translating strategy into results. DDI’s succession management solution, Building Your Bench, is designed to accelerate leadership growth, ensuring your future senior leaders are ready to take on greater responsibility.
With a data-driven approach, immersive development experiences, and expert coaching, this solution helps you assess, grow, and sustain your talent bench.
Assess
Gain deep insight into leadership potential with a business simulation that evaluates strengths, growth areas, and readiness for executive roles.
Grow
Develop critical leadership skills and deepen self-awareness with high-impact group experiences and individual coaching.
Sustain
Ensure long-term success with a strategic review of talent data, targeted recommendations, and support for executive teams.
I didn’t have a true sense of the executive culture and how to thrive and succeed. This helped me understand the top priorities of my new role.
Leader in a DDI Succession Program
3.7X
MORE LIKELY
High-potential talent is 3.7x more likely to leave without development.
Global Leadership Forecast 2025
INVEST IN YOUR LEADERS
Develop High-Potential Leaders
Investing in your high-potential leaders is critical to future business success. Above all, we help you find and develop the right people who will rapidly rise to new levels. From the first signs of leadership potential to emerging executives, DDI partners with you to build high-impact experiences that develop your high-potential leaders.
Grow Your Talent Pool
Leadership Transitions at the C-Level
Succession management at the executive level is a complex and high-stakes process. These transitions can significantly impact your company’s future and require a strategic, data-driven approach. Simply planning to replace existing leaders with those who mirror them isn’t enough—organizations need leaders who can adapt, innovate, and drive long-term success.
With DDI by your side, we’ll help you build a comprehensive succession strategy tailored to your business needs. From identifying the right leaders to providing expert coaching for a seamless transition, we ensure your organization is prepared for the future.
Data-Driven Decisions for Succession
As part of your succession management strategy, you need to make objective decisions about who is ready for promotion and who has leadership potential. With DDI assessments, you get validated data and rich insights on the right leaders to deliver on your business priorities, while ensuring your evaluation process is fair. The result? A data-driven approach to promotion, a stronger leadership pipeline, and agility to face new business challenges.
Have a Question?
Frequently Asked Questions: Succession Management
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How does DDI approach succession management?
DDI takes a proactive approach to succession management, focusing not just on replacement planning but on developing leaders at every level to build a sustainable talent pipeline. Through objective leadership assessments, targeted development experiences, and leadership acceleration programs, DDI helps organizations identify and prepare high-potential talent for critical roles. Our approach ensures that you can both identify future leaders and actively develop them to take on greater responsibilities with confidence.
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What types of assessments are used?
DDI leverages data-driven, science-backed assessments to provide deep insights into leadership readiness and potential. Key tools include Leader3 Ready® simulations, which replicate real-world leadership challenges, executive coaching for personalized development, and high-potential evaluations that help organizations pinpoint and accelerate emerging leaders. These assessments provide objective, predictive insights that help organizations make smarter, evidence-based decisions about their leadership pipeline.
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How can DDI help develop high-potential leaders?
DDI’s high-potential programs create personalized, high-impact development experiences designed to accelerate leadership growth. Our approach blends coaching, cohort-based learning, and experiential development to prepare leaders across levels for their next role. Research shows that organizations investing in leadership development are more likely to financially outperform their peers. By focusing on real-world application and tailored leadership challenges, DDI ensures high-potential leaders build the skills, confidence, and strategic mindset needed for long-term success.
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recommended Resources
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On-demand Webinar: Learn how to update your high-potential development and succession strategy. Explore how to avoid common pitfalls in HiPo programs and where to focus your efforts to accelerate and realize leadership potential.
WEBINARA Fresh Approach to High-Potential Development and Succession
60 min
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How one large global retail organization developed leaders to rapidly shift mindsets and actions to help the company achieve its digital transformation.
CLIENT STORYGlobal Retail Organization Builds Senior Team Effectiveness for a Digital Future
4 min
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Read our top Succession Management blogs.
BLOGTop Succession Management Blogs from DDI
4 min