How Do You Make Your Succession Vision 2020?

Will 2020 be the year that you create your succession vision? How can you make your vision of the future happen starting in 2020? When I was a younger consultant, my favorite question for my entrepreneurial clients was, “How would you turn your business into a great business? “

I even created a toolkit that allowed them to create this business in their minds before they made it a reality. This visioning process has brought me many incredible clients over the years. Many of these clients achieved incredible personal and professional growth.

Today, as I help clients consider their future options, I ask a very different question. Now the question is, “What does it take to leave a great business?”

 Succession planning for me comes down to this simple question asked in several ways and at different times to help the business leader create a vision for the rest of their lives.

It’s an emotional question. In most cases, it’s never been asked before. It requires me to listen as the pressure is being relieved. I may have to wait; their answer may be explosive or emotional. Several times it brought tears to the eyes of the entrepreneurs as they thought about the answer. What would you say to me? Go deeper, think about what it means to you and your family.

How would you get prepared? It’s the start of a new journey of personal discovery and opportunity. It’s my job to help the leader discover how to use their gifts, strengths, and life experiences in the next stage of their lives.

 I’m a trusted partner on this journey. I’m here to help you find your own path. It’s like a roller coaster;  your emotional state rising and falling as you decide what it takes to create your own lasting leadership legacy. It’s similar to how you were when you started this journey into leadership.

My role is to help entrepreneurs put into words the feelings, hopes, desires, and emotions that they may experience throughout the succession process. Many times, I’ll help them connect the dots between different aspects of their lives. This helps them reach for the next goal or achieve something they have always wanted to achieve.

The goal is to have a positive impact every time we work together. The ultimate goal is to overcome the feeling of being out of control. These men and women have built their lives on the fact that they are in control of their own destiny. They struggle against themselves as they try to find something they can hold on to.

Many years ago, I learned from Jay Abraham a simple way of helping clients through these kinds of challenges. He believes it’s our job as an advisor to:

• Help provide people with focus.
• Focus is clarity
• Clarity gives power
• Power gives understanding
• Understanding gives certainty
• Certainty builds trust

And I would add:

• Trust is the foundation of developing a powerful vision and a lasting leadership legacy.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  The best ideas often are. Its hard work. The payoff can be incredible.

Now that you know what we are trying to achieve with this strategy, next week I’ll share with you how to create your own vision for the future.

 See you next week.