Transition from leadership development to succession management.

As nurse executives approach retirement, it is imperative to conduct succession management for our replacements, along with other key nursing leadership positions. Nurse executives are professionally obligated to consciously and strategically develop leaders. Start by identifying key positions. Conduct a migration risk assessment. Establish core competencies for executive-, director-, and manager-level positions. Identify top performers and conduct individual needs assessments. Develop individualized progressive development plans and identify associated critical success factors. Prioritize, coach, and mentor top performers. This article describes the implementation of a succession management plan and provides a framework for transitioning from leadership development to succession management.