Having been in executive search for the best part of 25 years, I can tell you first-hand that most organisations talk a good game about talent management. But in reality, what normally happens is anything but planned.
A JD is often dusted off, the date changed, something about AI added (I mean, who doesn’t at the moment?), then it gets sent out for a few firms to pitch. By the time anyone’s hired, often 12 months into the future, the role is no longer needed, has changed, or the internal person is now ready to step up. Who knew?
But what can organisations do about this?
In practice a leadership talent pipeline starts with the roles you may need to fill and the people worth getting to know before that happens. It should give you a clearer view of your options when someone leaves, the business grows or a role changes.
The difficult bit is deciding where to spend your time. You could map every senior role in the organisation. You could buy a database. You could ask a search firm for a long list of names.
I would start with the appointments that would cause a real problem if you had to make them quickly.
A planned retirement is an obvious one. So is a role where the incumbent carries knowledge or relationships that nobody else has. An acquisition, a new business unit or a change in strategy might create a leadership requirement before there is an approved vacancy.
These are different situations. They deserve different conversations.
Start with the business plan
Look twelve to eighteen months ahead and ask which parts of the plan depend on leadership capability you may not have. This is a working horizon, rather than a rule. Some businesses need to look further ahead; others can only make sensible judgements over the next six months.
Then take the roles you have identified and write a short note on each. What might change? What would a successor need to deliver? Who could cover temporarily? What evidence do you have about the internal options?
That last question matters. A name on a succession chart can create more confidence than the evidence warrants. Equally, an internal candidate can be overlooked because nobody has considered how the role might be shaped around their strengths.
Do this work before asking someone to map the external market. Otherwise you risk collecting people for a job you have not properly defined.
Decide what you need to know about the market
A useful external map should answer a question. For example: where could we find a divisional managing director who has run a business of this complexity, with this level of autonomy?
That could include people in adjacent sectors. It might include an experienced functional leader ready for a broader role. Their current job titles will only take you so far.
For each person, distinguish what is known from what has been inferred. A public profile might confirm their responsibilities. It will rarely tell you whether they want to move, what would attract them or whether they would accept your location requirements.
Someone who looks relevant on paper is a prospect. Someone who has had a proper conversation with you is a different proposition. Keep that distinction visible.
An example of where to focus
Imagine a group expecting its finance director to retire within a year. It also plans to acquire another business. Its finance controller is a credible internal option, but has not led acquisition integration.
A sensible pipeline would investigate both questions. Could the controller develop that experience before the retirement? And which external candidates have handled a comparable integration?
The result might be an internal promotion with additional support. It might be an external appointment. Either way, the business has time to test its assumptions.
This is an illustrative scenario. The value is in the questions it exposes, rather than the number of names collected.
Keep the relationships useful
You need a reason to speak to people before you have a job to offer. A candid discussion about the business and its plans can be worthwhile. So can an invitation to share a perspective or join a relevant peer conversation.
Be clear about why you are contacting them. Do not imply that a vacancy exists when it does not. And do not promise confidentiality you cannot maintain.
Keep records proportionate, respect people’s preferences and agree who owns the relationship. A pipeline full of old notes and unreturned messages will not help much when the pressure arrives.
The working record can be simple:
| Role or requirement | What could trigger a hire | Internal position | External evidence | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance director | Planned retirement | Controller needs integration experience | Relevant people identified but interest untested | Arrange development exposure and exploratory conversations |
| Divisional managing director | Acquisition proceeds | Interim cover identified | Market still to be explored | Define the likely mandate before mapping |
Review the record when the business plan changes and at an agreed interval between those changes. Ask what you have learnt, which assumptions still need testing and whether the priority roles are still the right ones.
For a first step, pick the senior role that would be hardest to replace tomorrow. Write down your internal option, your temporary cover and what you actually know about the external market. The gaps will tell you where to begin.