Issue 29 (July 2026) – Ignore, Cut or Rebuild?

Imagine you lost your top employee tomorrow. What would you do?

Picture this scenario. Your best salesperson hands in her resignation.

There’s no warning. No transition plan. No time to prepare.

Now what?

Succession Planning is Business Insurance

Most companies think of succession (or redundancy) planning as something bureaucratic or “nice to have.”

It’s not.

It’s business insurance.

Reality is simple. If your business can’t function without a single person, it means you’re vulnerable.

What Companies Often Overlook

When leaders think about succession, they usually stop at “we have backups.”

But good succession planning runs deeper. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Knowledge Concentration

Where does critical information live? If it’s in someone’s head, then you have dependency.

2. Relationship Ownership

In many companies, client relationships are usually owned by people. When there’s only one contact or there’s no visibility into conversation or transaction history, that relationship is vulnerable.

3. Process Clarity

It’s normal for people to operate on instinct. We can get busy and may not write stuff down, or we don’t share insight on things like HOW a process works.

For example, HOW does your best salesperson prospect? HOW does he qualify them? And HOW does he move the prospect through to close?

If the company doesn’t know this, it will be very difficult to scale success.

4. Talent Bench Strength

Many businesses underinvest in developing bench-strength: no one is qualified to step into that role.

When a key person leaves, it can result in a performance or culture gap, and can lead to rushed knee-jerk hiring to fill the role. I often hear about companies needing to fill a role quickly, only to discover the hired person wasn’t the right fit. That wastes time and money.

Practical Succession Planning

Here are a few ideas to mitigate risk:

1. Build “Shadowing” Into the Culture

No key role should operate alone, so that if someone disappears tomorrow, you’ve got backup. Encourage a team approach instead of solo work effort.

2. Systematize Knowledge

Documentation needs to be:

• Easy to access
• Updated regularly
• Actually used

If it’s not built into your culture, it won’t help when you need it.

3. De-Risk Client Relationships

You want multi-threaded relationships, not single points of contact.

Practical steps:

• Require at least 2 company contacts per key account
• Introduce account managers, not just salespeople
• Schedule joint check-ins with multiple stakeholders

Clients should trust your company, not just one person inside it.

4. Build a Succession Pipeline

This is where most companies fall short.

Ask yourself:

• Who could step into this role today?
• Who could be ready in 90 days?
• What gaps need to be filled to make that happen?

If you don’t have answers, that’s the risk.

The Mindset Shift Leaders Need to Make

Think of redundancy planning as insurance.

People will eventually leave, so instead of panicking, take steps to implement systems where losing an key employee doesn’t put your company at risk.

The goal isn’t to replace your top performers.

It’s to build an organization where losing one doesn’t break you.

Need help creating a succession plan or have questions? Let’s chat.

Explaining why you left your last job is one of the most common and sensitive interview questions. I always ask “why did you leave?” in interviews so that I can understand career path and patterns.

The key is to be honest, professional, and forward-focused.

My advice? Keep it simple and factual.

Whether it was restructuring, lack of growth, or a better opportunity, be clear without over-explaining.

Avoid negativity

Don’t criticize your former employer, manager, or team. Instead, reframe your answer around what you were seeking: development, new challenges, or alignment with your long-term goals.

Focus on positive transition

Focus on positive transition. For example: “I learned a lot in my previous role, but I’m ready to take on more responsibility and grow in a new direction.” This shows maturity and intent.

Keep it honest

I check that the story I’m being told is true, so the last thing you want to do is get caught in a lie and kill your chances at being offered the role.

Need help refining your story? Reach out and let’s schedule a review. I’m happy to help you position your experience with confidence.

Listen: The Story of Rum

Yo ho ho … and a bottle of rum.

Rum isn’t just a spirit that is used in cocktails. It is unique amongst beverages in how it has shaped history. 

Rum has driven the creation of sugar plantations, played an important role in the British Navy, piracy, slavery, and global commerce.

Today, it’s lost its global importance and has become an ingredient in cocktails and an important part of Caribbean economies. 

Learn more about Rum’s journey from an empire-building by-product to a craft-made delicacy.

Read: Gad Saad – Suicidal Empathy

You know the upside down world we live in? The one where people support terrorists? Or where the accused gets sympathy instead of the victim?

That’s suicidal empathy.

Suicidal Empathy, a term coined by evolutionary behavioral scientist Dr. Gad Saad, refers to a pathological condition where misdirected compassion causes a society to prioritize the feelings of specific groups over its own survival, values, and truth.

He argues that suicidal empathy prioritizes minority groups such as illegal immigrants at the expense of survival and security of one’s own groups and values.

Available as a hardcover, eBook and audiobook.