In a past interview I was asked about my proudest career achievement. Instinctively, I answered that it was seeing Simply Business, where I served as CEO for seven years, get much better and bigger after my departure. This wasn’t false modesty on my part but was grounded in my belief of the vital role of succession planning for any CEO or leader. I’ve always maintained that one’s contribution is diminished if a business relies solely on any individual for its continued success.
When Sir Alex Ferguson retired as Manchester United’s manager in 2013 he had presided over 27 years of unparalleled success and a haul of 38 trophies. A 2012 case study from Harvard Business School entitled Sir Alex Ferguson: Managing Manchester United stated: “He was the ultimate decision-maker on almost every football related aspect at United.” United’s then CEO, David Gill, said: “Steve Jobs was Apple. Sir Alex Ferguson is Manchester United.”
