Part 1: Stop Adding Flights. Build Runways - A human-centred approach to succession planning (Part 1)

Leadership demand is rising—faster change, greater complexity, fewer ready leaders.

Most organisations respond by hiring more people or promoting faster.

But like overcrowded airports, more activity doesn’t increase capacity.

Airlines learned this the hard way. Adding flights didn’t work because the system was already maxed out.

Succession planning fails for the same reason.

From a #TrulyHumanLeadership lens, this matters deeply.

When systems aren’t designed to grow leaders responsibly, people burn out, confidence erodes, and potential is wasted.

Leadership is stewardship of lives. @BobChapman

If leadership demand exceeds development capacity, the issue isn’t people—it’s the system.

Succession planning is not about filling seats.

It’s about designing an organisation that can grow leaders humanely and sustainably.

Call to Action

Think: Where is leadership demand outpacing your organisation’s ability to develop people?
Develop differently: Are you building capacity—or simply stretching the same few individuals?
Act now: Identify one leadership bottleneck caused by system limits, not talent gaps.

Leadership shortages aren’t solved by adding flights.

They’re solved by building runways—systems that help people take off, grow, and land safely.

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