Before the Title Changes: The Hidden Work of Succession
A client preparing for a C-suite succession once said this to me:
“I don’t just want the title, I want the reputation of being a good CFO.”
This sentence captures what succession readiness really tests. It isn’t simply about who’s next in line. It’s about whether the next leader can hold the weight of continuity: the trust, culture, and stability that a role represents.
Leadership transition doesn’t begin with the title change.
It begins in the deliberate work of becoming the person the role already assumes you are, the space between being chosen and feeling ready. You’re not just learning the mechanics of the position. You’re learning to inhabit its weight, to carry its trust, withstand the scrutiny, and sustain its rhythm.
Readiness, at this level, isn’t only about knowledge or experience.
It’s about how you carry what’s being handed over.
Every ascent begins in composure — a quiet architecture of grounded confidence and trust.
Collection: Maison Collection
Medium: Fine Editorial Still
Volume: Vol. I — The Hidden Work of Succession
The Hidden Work of Being “Next”
When we first spoke, she admitted to feeling uncertain.
“The current CFO has so much wisdom,” she said. “I worry people will notice the gaps, that they’ll see I’m not ready.”
Like many rising executives, she equated readiness with knowing, having the right answer, speaking first, proving her intellect before anyone could question it. So I asked her to do something different.
In her next board meeting, I said: Don’t focus on contributing. Focus on observing.
- Who asks the most questions?
- Who is the fastest to offer solutions?
- Who speaks the most?
Within minutes, the pattern revealed itself.
The most senior leaders weren’t the ones rushing to respond. They were the ones anchoring the conversation, asking the kind of questions that reframed the discussion. They thought four steps ahead, not one. That moment shifted her understanding of leadership.
Succession wasn’t about proving she knew enough.
It was about showing she could hold enough — the tension, the ambiguity, the direction.
The Signals of Succession Readiness
Succession readiness doesn’t just test capability.
It tests composure, the ability to carry the role’s gravity without seeking validation for it.
When people begin to see you as “next,” they start watching differently.
Every meeting becomes a mirror. They notice how you think, how you respond under tension, how you make decisions when the path ahead isn’t clear. They’re not only evaluating what you know, they’re reading the quality of your presence.
And that’s where reputation architecture becomes visible.
At this level, readiness is read through two channels: expressive reputation and relational reputation.
Expressive Reputation: How You Communicate and Decide
This is the leadership language people remember.
It is how you think, speak, and decide when clarity is still forming. Your presence, your tone, your ability to hold ground when answers are uncertain… these become the signals that shape how others experience your leadership.
Readiness isn’t in knowing everything, but in knowing how to think when the answers aren’t clear. It’s the ability to zoom out to see the larger strategy and zoom in to make precise decisions. It’s knowing where to find the right information, and who to bring into the conversation. That’s what steadies a room.
Relational Reputation: How You Lead Through Others
Reputation also lives in your relationships, not just in performance, but in connection.
Not in the number of business cards collected or LinkedIn connections made, but in the depth of trust you build with the people who matter. It’s felt in how you make others feel seen, how you listen, and how you turn collaboration into confidence.
It shows in how you build bridges across teams rather than standing apart from them, how you elevate others instead of competing for space, and how you expand your influence through trust, not control. Leaders who are truly ready understand that visibility is multiplied through others, through mentorship, collaboration, and the enduring power of networks that move because you do. These are the reputation signals of leadership development, the indicators that readiness have already taken root.
They build the kind of reputation and personal brand that doesn’t need to be announced, it’s felt.
At its core, reputation becomes the quiet architecture of trust, the unseen design holding every transition steady. It’s what allows others to believe in your leadership before you ever step into the role.
Succession isn’t merely about stepping into a role. It’s about embodying it in a way that the shift feels seamless, even inevitable.
A Reflection for You
If your name has started entering the room, but your title hasn’t yet, this is your season of quiet visibility.
Ask yourself:
What signals am I sending through how I think, speak, and decide? Am I constantly trying to prove that I am worthy?
Do my presence and relationships reflect the role I want, or the one I currently hold?
When others observe me, do they feel steadiness, trust, and direction, or effort and urgency?
Reputation isn’t something you announce when the title arrives. It’s something you architect long before that moment.
If you’re ready to refine how your leadership is perceived, to make your readiness unmistakable , I invite you to explore The IMPACT Brand Ascension, my private program on executive presence, reputation architecture, and strategic visibility.
With reverence,
Jia
Return to the Maison Library and explore more letters on reputation, leadership, and legacy.
