"Passing the Torch: Succession Strategies for ESOPs" at Great Lakes Regional Conference

Embracing Pragmatic Leadership In the ever-evolving landscape of business, the distinction between regular leaders and pragmatic leaders becomes increasingly evident. While regular leaders adhere to established norms and practices, pragmatic leaders possess the agility to make decisions based on the circumstances and situations at hand. This adaptability we often see it in Entrepreneurs/Founders, and CEOs who navigate the complexities of their respective industries. As HR professionals, it is essential for us to go beyond merely providing support; we must actively integrate with the business to drive meaningful impact. By adopting an entrepreneurial mindset and embodying pragmatic leadership principles, we position ourselves as vital contributors to our organizations’ success. HRs should embrace this approach and work collaboratively to foster an environment where adaptability and innovation thrive. Together with top management , HRs can strengthen the contributions and drive organizations forward.

Strong leadership and organizational resilience are no longer optional, they are essential to long-term success. Leaders today must guide teams with clarity, inspire confidence during uncertainty, and foster a culture of adaptability. At Velastra, we emphasize the role of leadership development and resilience as growth drivers. Businesses that invest in people, empower decision-making, and embed resilience into their models create competitive advantages that last. We share perspectives and practices that help leaders not only manage disruption but use it to build stronger, more future-ready organizations.

Leadership continuity is strategy continuity. When a leader leaves without a successor, the organization doesn’t just lose a person, it also loses direction. Plans stall, priorities shift, and teams also lose clarity and confidence. Succession planning ensures that leadership transitions don’t disrupt the mission and keeps the organization’s rhythm steady, no matter who’s holding the baton.

In organizations, when problems arise, the focus tends to shift towards bottom-level employees. However, it's essential to acknowledge that the root of issues often lies within top management. - Leadership decisions significantly influence the organization's direction, culture, and performance. - A well-aligned, visionary, and supportive top management enables exceptional performance at all levels. - Conversely, bottlenecks created at the top can hinder the organization's overall flow. The key takeaway is to assess leadership before attributing issues to the workforce. Strong leadership eliminates bottlenecks, empowers individuals, and drives growth.

Leadership development fails when it’s divorced from strategy. Too often, companies invest in generic programmes that treat leadership as a set of abstract skills, separate from the realities of growth. The result? Leaders who might get better at “leading” in theory, but who aren’t prepared for the actual challenges their business faces. Your leaders need to grow with your business, not in isolation. That means designing leadership development that’s anchored in your strategy, your stage of growth, and the outcomes you’re trying to achieve. At Alkemy, we help startups and scaleups do exactly that - building leadership systems that develop capability in lockstep with ambition. If you’re ready to align leadership growth with business growth, get in touch.

In many organizations, especially under less decisive leadership, a pattern can emerge where individuals readily agree with the leader’s ideas, even when those ideas may be flawed. These “yes people” often seek to maintain favor rather than provide the constructive challenge needed to strengthen decision-making. While this behavior may create short-term harmony, it can undermine innovation, limit critical thinking, and ultimately weaken organizational performance. A culture that welcomes respectful challenge and open dialogue is far more likely to drive sustainable success.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from decades of building lasting businesses, it’s that the right leadership can compound results as powerfully as the right investment. The insights in this article are not just common sense, they’re uncommon sense, rooted in a deep understanding of both human nature and business reality. If you’re serious about optimizing your "Executive search".. stop thinking in terms of filling seats and start thinking in terms of building moats. Great leaders don’t just run companies, they build engines of sustainable advantage. Remember: when you get the people right, the numbers often take care of themselves. https://lnkd.in/gVEvQQYQ

Mechanisms Behind “Idiots in Power”….. Leadership in the Modern Workplace: Lessons from Aristotle Aristotle observed that societies often place familiar, comforting individuals in positions of power instead of those with true wisdom and capability. In today’s fast-paced, complex professional world, this tendency can limit innovation and growth. Organizations sometimes prioritize comfort and conformity over bold, visionary leadership, which can hinder progress. Understanding Aristotle’s insight helps us rethink leadership selection—encouraging merit-based, ethical, and forward-thinking decision-makers who drive meaningful change. To build resilient and adaptive teams, modern businesses must foster a culture that values true expertise and virtues, moving beyond surface-level appeal toward authentic leadership excellence.

Corporate succession plans often chase the idea of the “well-rounded leader.” But few great organizations have been led by teams of generalists. The most impactful leaders are spiky, unapologetically strong in a few areas, and wise enough to build teams that balance their gaps. The real art of leadership development is not to smooth out every edge, but to strategically pair strengths. As African companies scale, the question isn’t “How do we create more well-rounded leaders?” It’s “How do we design leadership teams where different kinds of brilliance work in concert?” When leadership teams are designed this way, performance shifts noticeably. → Execution becomes faster, not because everyone thinks alike, but because each person’s strength is fully leveraged. → Decisions improve, not because everyone agrees, but because diverse perspectives are built into the process. → Succession also becomes more sustainable, shifting from replacing individuals to preserving team capability. 🔹 What would change if your next leadership development program focused less on fixing weaknesses and more on amplifying complementary strengths?

Corporate succession plans often chase the idea of the “well-rounded leader.” But few great organizations have been led by teams of generalists. The most impactful leaders are spiky, unapologetically strong in a few areas, and wise enough to build teams that balance their gaps. The real art of leadership development is not to smooth out every edge, but to strategically pair strengths. As African companies scale, the question isn’t “How do we create more well-rounded leaders?” It’s “How do we design leadership teams where different kinds of brilliance work in concert?” When leadership teams are designed this way, performance shifts noticeably. → Execution becomes faster, not because everyone thinks alike, but because each person’s strength is fully leveraged. → Decisions improve, not because everyone agrees, but because diverse perspectives are built into the process. → Succession also becomes more sustainable, shifting from replacing individuals to preserving team capability. 🔹 What would change if your next leadership development program focused less on fixing weaknesses and more on amplifying complementary strengths?