The Importance of Succession Management
Succession management and shared leadership are not corporate buzzwords. They are key to building a talented early childhood education (ECE) workforce. These principles help your program prepare for the future. They support smooth transitions when staff and leaders move into another role. They also preserve your organization’s knowledge to keep your program running well.
This resource explains why these strategies matter for your ECE program. Find tips and key practices below for effective implementation.
How Succession Management Can Build a Strong Future for ECE Programs
Succession management means planning ahead to make sure your program has the right people ready to step into key roles. It helps your program stay strong when staff leave or move into new jobs. This practice is essential for the ECE workforce, where leaders and staff who understand the unique missions of these programs are invaluable.
Finding and supporting staff with strong potential helps your program fill important leadership roles in the future. This prevents gaps, reduces disruptions, and helps your team grow and improve over time.
Succession planning is especially important for key roles like executive director or board chair. Programs should invest in growing strong leaders from their current staff to stay successful. Human Resources staff can help by finding employees with leadership potential and giving them training and support to grow into future leadership roles.
Key Practice
To be effective, make sure your succession plan is written down. A written plan helps everyone know what to expect during staff changes and shows your program’s values and goals.
Shared Leadership: A Team Approach to Success
Shared leadership helps make sure that leadership and decision making are not just the job of one person. Instead, it is a team effort where everyone shares information and supports each other’s works. It involves building strong relationships and sharing tasks to support succession planning.
One example is outlined in Section 642(c)(1)(B) of the Head Start Act, which requires shared governance, to include boards, Policy Councils, and Tribal Councils. Leaders must ensure these bodies, along with employees, have the training and support they need to fulfill their roles. It is also important that leadership shares information openly with each group that helps run the program. This helps the program stay strong over time.
Key Practice
Include shared leadership as part of your succession planning. When everyone works together, it helps build a strong system for developing talent and makes sure the program continues to succeed in the long run.
The Importance of Leadership Continuity and Sustainability
Leadership continuity is important for ECE programs. It keeps your programs' core values and missions going strong during transitions. When you combine shared leadership with succession planning, programs become more flexible and better prepared for the future. This will help make sure children and families receive the support they need.
Key Practice
Plan for the long term. Think about how your program can stay strong and what steps you need to take now to prepare for the future.
Conclusion
By using succession management and shared leadership together, ECE programs can make sure they are always ready to meet challenges and ensure positive outcomes for the children and families they serve.
Read more:
Resource Type: Article
National Centers: Program Management and Fiscal Operations
Program Option: Center-Based Option
Audience: Directors and Managers
Last Updated: July 14, 2025