Huddle Up: Act Swiftly, but Thoughtfully, When Longtime Key Leaders Leave

The departures of longtime football coaches Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots, Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks and Nick Saban of the University of Alabama illustrate the need to be ready to fill the void when key leaders exit.

Saban, who is retiring at age 72, won a record seven national championships as a coach—six with Alabama and one with LSU. In total, he spent 28 seasons as a college head coach, the last 17 at Alabama. (Saban also coached the NFL’s Miami Dolphins for two years.) Explaining his decision, he told USA Today that while he asks his players to give 100 percent, his age has made it harder for him to do the same.

Kalen DeBoer, 49, who was head coach at the University of Washington for the last two seasons, will replace Saban. During his time with the Huskies, DeBoer became the first coach there to win 11 or more games in consecutive seasons and the first to win a bowl game in his initial season.

Belichick, 71, coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and led them to six Super Bowl wins—the most league championships in history among NFL coaches. His 31 career postseason wins are also a record, and his 333 total victories as a head coach are second-most all-time.

Retirement was not given as Belichick’s reason for leaving. Instead, he and team owner Robert Kraft announced they had amicably and mutually agreed to part ways after Patriots finished the season with a 4-13 record, the worst in Belichick’s 29 years as a head coach.

Jerod Mayo, 37, a former Patriots linebacker who joined Belichick’s staff as linebackers coach in 2019, will succeed Belichick. At 37, Mayo becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL.

Carroll, 72, who served as executive vice president of the Seahawks in addition to his head coach role, was with Seattle for 14 seasons. He is one of only three coaches to win both a Super Bowl (with the Seahawks) and a college football national championship (with the University of Southern California). 

Carroll had been expecting to continue as head coach, but Seahawks ownership announced he would be transitioning to an advisor role. NFL.com reported that while Carroll was “set to stay on as a team advisor in an unspecified role, [he] did not deny he would seek another head coaching opportunity elsewhere.”

While Carroll’s successor has not yet been hired, his role as executive vice president of football operations is being taken over by John Schneider, 52, Seahawks general manager for 14 years.

The task of replacing these longtime coaches—whom some fans and players consider irreplaceable—is similar to the challenge the business world faces when a highly regarded leader moves on. The individual’s departure can impact morale and even recruitment efforts.

Professional trainer Flame Schoeder, certified by the International Coaching Federation as a leadership and executive master coach, cautioned organizations against looking for a mirror replacement.

“Now is the perfect time to assess what the departing leader’s strengths were as well as any weaknesses they may have had,” she told SHRM Online.

“Taking a step back to observe what the organization may truly need next will increase the possibility that the new leader you bring in will be a holistic and sustainable fit for the company and its people. It’s an opportune time to look at your organization’s values and vision and create alignment with the hiring process.”

SHRM Online collected the following news articles about considerations when replacing someone viewed as irreplaceable.

The Impact on Company Culture When a Leader Departs

A leader’s departure from the organization can be unsettling for employees. If the departure is sudden, the impact is even greater. Someone new will assume leadership, but the figurehead everyone associated with the business no longer casts a shadow.

(CultureWise)

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Engaging in Succession Planning]

Replacing a Key Leader? 14 Tips for a Smooth Transition

Leadership turnover can be a turbulent time for any organization, regardless of the circumstances.

With the right transition plan, employers can alleviate those worries before they arise. Business leaders share strategies to ensure a smooth transition when a new person steps into a key leadership role, both for that person’s team and for the company as a whole.

(The Business Journals)

Nine Ways to Ensure a Smooth Transition When a C-Suite Exec Leaves Your Company

When a member of the C-suite leaves their position, it can have a ripple effect throughout the whole company. Because they’re a key leader of your business, their departure may leave employees wondering whether they were let go or left of their own accord, whether their own jobs will be affected, whether there will be significant changes to the company culture or whether new policies and procedures will be put in place.

While change is often necessary for companies to grow, key leadership changes must be handled thoughtfully to help quell these fears and answer employees’ questions.

(Forbes)

8 Essential Qualities of Successful Leaders

Star leaders aren’t born with superhuman capabilities. Instead, they tend to have intentionally put themselves in situations where they have to learn, adapt, and grow so they develop the tenacity and fortitude to motivate and guide others.

“Leadership is a process of self-development,” says Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill. “No one can teach you how to lead; you need to be willing and able to learn how to lead. Mostly we learn from our experiences and facing adversity. Stepping outside of the spaces where we feel safe is a powerful teacher.”

Hill offers what she considers the top eight most important qualities for successful leadership, along with ideas on how to cultivate them.

(Harvard Business Review)