Why next-gen leadership transitions fail

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” wrote 18th century poet Robert Burns in his famous poem "To a Mouse." And there’s a good reason you still hear the phrase today. No matter how meticulously you plan something, there are always uncontrollable variables that can derail your efforts. The same holds true for succession planning. A good succession plan is just that—a plan. Of course, without a comprehensive, long-term plan, a succession will usually fail. But even the best, well, you get the drift.