CHROs Share Succession Habits That Prevent Leadership Gaps

CHROs Share Succession Habits That Prevent Leadership Gaps

Leadership transitions can cripple operations when succession planning is treated as an afterthought rather than a continuous discipline. Chief Human Resources Officers from high-performing organizations have shared sixteen specific habits they use to build resilient leadership pipelines and eliminate single points of failure. These proven practices range from enforcing mandatory vacations that expose knowledge gaps to maintaining live skills matrices that make succession decisions faster and more objective.

Every leader thinks they have this pillar. Pressure reveals the truth.

Consistency isn’t about never changing. It’s about never leaving your team guessing about who you are.

It’s here. And here’s exactly how to use it.

Writing this book was not a simple process. It required me to be honest about my own failures as a leader, not just the lessons I learned from watching others, but the moments where I was the one who missed. Where I let a standard slip. Where I avoided a conversation I should have had. Where I borrowed against trust I hadn’t fully repaid.

Gearl Loden

REVEAL ISSUE SUBJECT LINE: What separates leaders who hold steady from the ones who lose the room?

“I work with coaches and leaders around the world, and the challenge is always the same: trust is essential but rarely engineered. Before It Breaks turns trust into a buildable system. The seven pillars are the bedrock of human-centered coaching conversations and leadership decisions. The Loden Framework is a valuable tool for any leader and management team that desires to master leadership.”

— Rashid Siddiqui, Co-Founder, International Coaching Institute

Trust doesn’t just make the work more meaningful. It makes everything faster.

“HUMANeX has long emphasized that what leaders do drives culture and performance. Our research across over 20,000 teams, from school boards and cabinets to Olympic teams and West Point, highlights trust as the #1 variable in predicting great teams. Before It Breaks turns trust from a vague virtue into a practical leadership operating system, seven behavioral pillars with diagnostics and repair protocols leaders can run under pressure. Trust is the equivalent of oxygen for excellence.”

— Brad Black, President and CEO, HUMANeX Ventures

Leaders Share How to Set Fair In-Office Norms in Hybrid Work

Leaders Share How to Set Fair In-Office Norms in Hybrid Work
Hybrid work has forced organizations to rethink what fairness means when some employees are in the office and others are not. Getting this balance right requires clear policies that focus on outcomes rather than arbitrary attendance rules. This article brings together insights from workplace leaders who have successfully implemented in-office norms that respect flexibility while maintaining team cohesion.

Who are you when you are under pressure?

“Lead for God’s Sake! reminds us that leadership begins on the inside. Before It Breaks shows what must come next. Conviction alone does not sustain trust, structure does. These seven pillars translate purpose into disciplined, visible behavior so when pressure mounts, leaders don’t drift and teams don’t fracture. This is leadership built to hold.”
Sake