One of the most venerated and revered companies in the world is having a very difficult go of things about now. Disney, with all its talent and resources, has made a hash of their CEO succession planning. CNBC featured a long, detailed story about this calamity in Sept. 2023, and there are valuable takeaway lessons for construction leaders.
Tune in this week as Wayne outlines ten mistakes Disney made in their botched succession planning, gives you eight “lessons learned” which are applicable to contractor succession plans, and returns to an old favorite you’ve heard here before: “The seeds of a company’s destruction are sown in good times.” What are your thoughts? Please share with us in the comments section.
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Eddie Buckley says:
Hey Wayne – regarding exhaustive vetting; any companies (not as a referral) you know that offer psychographic profiles, test, evaluations, etc. services for businesses?
Kent says:
Wayne, your summary of Disney’s current state is impactful and you make many good points about succession as well as culture. Agreed that operational success doesn’t qualify for CEO success. Both leadership skills (people) as well as “thinking skills” (strategic) are critical. From experience, both mine and watching other CEO, it takes several years to transition from operational thinking to strategic leadership and thinking. Succession is certainly a very long term process! Thanks.
Wayne Rivers says:
Hi Eddie. We do it on behalf of our commercial contractor members. Not sure who else does, but there is bound to be someone either in your region or industry.
Wayne Rivers says:
A long, productive process , Kent, if done properly. On the other hand, contractors that try to cram succession into an 18 month “rush out the door with some $ in my pocket” are taking a big risk!