Destined to Lead

Abstract

Imagine the variations of an ocean … ebb and flow, undulating quiet and sudden waves crashing, possibility and imminent danger for person and property. Metaphorically, these are the variations in this case study—a case that involved the complicated dynamics of a CEO’s succession. Blending their business and psychological wisdom, Saporito and Winum wrote of CEO succession, “Issues of power, control, legacy, competition and ego can operate throughout all phases of a CEO succession process and significantly compromise the best outcomes.”1 My effort to reveal and navigate these issues—as they played out for a CEO candidate—was at the core of this executive coaching engagement.