Succession to the Management Role

In their practical guide *Successors in Leadership Roles – How to Ensure a Successful Transition into Operational Succession* (2025), Michael M. Meier and Tom A. Rüsen demonstrate how the transition of the next generation into operational leadership roles in family businesses can be managed professionally. The starting point is the realisation that operational succession is not merely a personnel decision, but a systemic process spanning several years that affects the family, the business and governance structures in equal measure.

The guide structures the transition into three key stakeholder groups: the entrepreneurial family, the operational management team and family business governance. The focus is on specific milestones in the development of successors – from the conscious decision to take on a leadership role, through to an individual assessment of one’s current position, and on to the gradual assumption of responsibility. It becomes clear that both placing excessive demands on the NextGen and structural resistance on the part of the senior generation represent key risks to successful succession.

The authors place particular emphasis on the design of sustainable leadership and governance structures. The practical guide demonstrates how leadership teams can be further developed, roles clearly defined and cultural transformation processes actively supported. This is complemented by practical case studies, guidance on the co-leadership of sibling teams and on the development of „Plan B“ scenarios. The guide thus provides a sound framework for business families who view operational succession as a joint, learning-based project for the future.