YOU PROBABLY KNOW ONE – maybe you are one: The irreplaceable person. The key man. The woman we can’t afford to lose. They’re the keeper of all wisdom, the one who can fix a problem faster than most people can describe it. They’ve been around forever, they know every client by heart, and their phone never stops buzzing. They’re the rock of the business – right up until the day they’re not there. It’s something we don’t talk about enough in our industry, even though we all see it. The promo world runs on personality. It’s what makes it fun. We’ve built careers around relationships, storytelling and service. But when a company’s success depends on a handful of people who “just know how things work,” it becomes fragile. The longer we delay succession planning – from leadership all the way through the front lines – the more we set ourselves up for chaos when those people finally move on. A Plan for When, Not If Succession planning sounds like a problem for retirement-age executives, but that’s a myth. It’s not a someday exercise; it’s an everyday strategy. You don’t do it because someone’s leaving – you do it because people eventually will. Think of it as building depth. The best organizations don’t just have a few stars; they have a bench. They have systems that don’t grind to a halt when one person takes a vacation or a new opportunity. They have people who can slide into new roles, take ownership and keep things moving forward. The companies that get this right share a few habits: Create visibility. Emerging leaders need to see behind the curtain. It’s not enough to talk about goals – show how decisions are made. Share context, not just results. When people understand why, they start thinking like owners. Cross-train. Too many roles in this industry are siloed. A customer service rep who never sees a sales call, or a salesperson who’s never watched production, is missing half the picture. Let people shadow, rotate and try new things. It builds empathy and adaptability – the raw materials of leadership. Mentor with purpose. Mentorship doesn’t have to be a program with a logo and a kickoff meeting. It can start with a simple question: Who’s learning from you this month? Good leaders build time into their schedules for teaching. Great ones make sure someone else can do what they do. Succession planning isn’t a retirement exercise. It’s an everyday discipline that builds stronger teams and steadier companies. By Michele Schwartz How To Succeed 26 • DECEMBER 2025 • PPAI Voices | Your Business New Africa / Shutterstock.com
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