Succession Planning

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Succession Planning E053 2025 01 22
A Bit of Security for January 22, 2025
This week in the US we observed Martin Luther King Day. His inspiration, integrity, and clarity inspired many to consider how we can make our world a better place. As a security professional, our responsibility includes the context in which we exercise our skills, including the integrity of the overall enterprise. When The Rev. Dr. King was killed, many wondered what would become of his work. Fortunately, many others stepped in to carry it forward.
When an organization undergoes a transition in leadership, the value of the enterprise can be put at substantial risk. A smooth, planned process can reassure investors and other interested parties in the long-term integrity of the enterprise, while a messy, chaotic process raises doubt as to its viability. In history, dictatorships never have smooth succession plans – with the possible exception of North Korea. Even there, any attempt at succession planning looks suspiciously like a coup attempt. Businesses do not do well when their identity is tied too closely to a single figurehead and that figurehead departs.
IBM was originally Computing, Tabulating, and Recording (CTR) when Tom Watson joined after being fired from National Cash Register in 1914. He was brought in as General Manager and within two years became president. He renamed the company International Business Machines, and its product line included butcher’s scales and time clocks. Simplex Time Recorder was one of their subsidiaries. He guided the company for decades but along the way made sure that his innovations and values were explained and discussed, not just embedded in the corporate culture.
Larger-than-life corporate personae can bring short-term economic gains but cause lasting long-term damage. Chainsaw Al Dunlop, Nuke’em Ed Lucente, Ken Lay, Bernie Madoff, and others brought phenomenal gains in the short term. So did the great tyrants in history. But the long-term consequences were dire for a generation after their departure.
As a security professional, you should consider your organization’s broader succession planning approach. You may want to bring it up to the Borad of Directors, especially when defining how highly sensitive information is to be accessed in the case of a crisis, disaster, or succession event.
References: Think: A Biography of the Watsons and IBM, 1969.
That’s our Bit of Security for Wednesday, January 22, 2025. I’m William Malik. Be safe!
Succession Planning E053 2025 01 22
A Bit of Security for January 22, 2025
The worst time to consider succession planning is when the enterprise faces a change in leadership. Listen to this -
Let me know what you think in the comments below or at wjmalik@noc.social
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