The New Reality: Evolving Succession Planning for Today’s Workforce (Part 5)

Disclaimer: We use the term Boomer to describe broad workforce trends. These observations are not meant to overlook the individuality of each person from this generation. Respecting each individual’s uniqueness is a value we strongly hold.

Boomers: Who Are They?

Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. Their values around work, leadership, authority, and achievement were shaped by a distinct mix of economic, social, political, and cultural experiences:

• Boomers were born into a time of rapid economic expansion, industrial growth, and middle-class wealth because of post-World War II conditions. The impact: optimism about progress; a belief that hard work leads to success; and an expectation that institutions will provide security in return for loyalty.
• High birth rates or the “baby boom” created crowded schools, competitive colleges, and tight job markets resulting in an achievement-focused identity and a desire to stand out, advance, and be recognized.
• Strong institutions and authority structures – In early life there was a strong trust in institutions (government, corporations, schools) but in later life they witnessed fractures in authority with the Vietnam War, Watergate scandal, and the assassinations of prominent figures (JFK, RFK, MLK). Boomers’ response to these was a tendency to reform institutions rather than dismantle them.
• Boomers lived with the constant threat of nuclear war growing up during the Cold War. This created an attitude of seriousness about responsibility and leadership having been impacted by the consequential impact of leadership decisions.
• Social and cultural upheaval – Boomers came of age during the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Liberation Movement, anti-war protests, Environmental movement, and the Sexual revolution. They had a high belief in the power of collective action, were comfortable challenging the status quo, and saw leadership identity as “making a difference” or “leaving a legacy”.
• Higher education expansion from the GI Bill and public investment paved the way for college degrees to become the pathway for advancement. Thus, a high value was placed on credentials and an expectation that this preparation would be rewarded.
• Work was framed as a primary source of identity, meaning, and status. Long hours, loyalty to one employer, and visible sacrifice became the norm resulting in strong work ethic, preference for face-to-face communication, expectation for linear career progression, and difficulty separating self-worth from role or title.
• Digital Technology came later in life for Boomers after most of their professional habits were formed. They, therefore, have mixed comfort with speed, transparency, and constant change preferring more structure communication and decision making.

These influences help explain why Boomers might struggle with ambiguity and rapid change, expect commitment and resilience, and value legacy.

What This Means for Leading Boomers

Boomers are comfortable taking charge and making decisions leading from experience and tenure.  They expect leaders to own outcomes – successes and failures – preferring defined roles and authority. There could be a temptation to default to top-down decision-making equating leadership with control rather than facilitation.

This generation is highly reliable and brings a strong sense of stewardship to the organization but their personal identification with role may make it difficult to let go.  Long hours are viewed as a measure of commitment risking burnout or overextension.  As a result, they may undervalue flexibility, sustainability, or boundary-setting

Boomers prefer careful analysis before action relying heavily on experience and pattern recognition.  They bring strong accountability and risk awareness instincts. The downside: their approach may feel slow in fast-moving environments; they may struggle with experimenting to learn; and can undervalue insights that contradict their experience

Boomers have a strong belief in mission, values, and institutional improvement.  They tend to be reformers, not disrupters, therefore, may be resistant to radical redesign or ambiguous transformations.  While they have great stamina for long-term change, they will likely need help stepping away from structures that no longer serve the organization’s path forward.

Since Boomers developed their professional style pre-digital, their preferences will likely be for meetings, presentations, and direct conversation with context-heavy explanations.  This is particularly valuable in high stakes communications but may struggle with brevity or informality as lacking seriousness.

Because of Boomers strong respect for experience and tenure, they may unintentionally block high-potentials or dismiss unconventional talent.  They could have a bias for “looks like me” when considering talent advancement decisions.

Boomers have a strong desire to leave something of great value behind and are emotionally invested in the organization’s history.  They have deep organizational wisdom and are strong culture carriers. They may have difficulty exiting with clarity and closure.

Boomers in the Leadership Pipeline and Succession Planning

While exact retirement rates for Boomers can fluctuate by year and region, recent estimates indicate that approximately 10,000 Baby Boomers retire each day in the United States. This significant rate has been consistent throughout the past decade, reflecting the ongoing transition of this generation out of the workforce. The cumulative effect is a substantial impact on leadership pipelines and succession planning, as organizations increasingly need to address the loss of institutional knowledge and experience.

While Boomers are no longer in the category of “talent to be developed”, the key to successful succession planning is to redeploy their value across different stages of the pipeline. These late-career Boomers are now at least in their 60’s and typically fill CEO, President, Founder, Chair, C-Suite functional leader, enterprise critical technical or client roles.  Because of this, they hold a concentration of decision rights, historical context, and external credibility. Succession planning must focus on redistributing the risk of this concentration.

Planners should consider these three important roles Boomers should hold for succession:

1. Stabilization (0 to 2 years before exit) – the importance of maintaining stakeholder confidence during transition and providing leadership continuity while successors are tested. This is especially important during CEO or C-Suite transitions, restructures, mergers, or other high-risk environments. During this period, there needs to be explicit conversations regarding the reality for the need for succession.
2. Bench building (1 to 3 years before exit) – Expanding organizational capability through coaching, mentoring, and stress-testing leadership readiness. Decision rights should be delegated to high-potentials allowing accountability with a safety net to fail safely.
3. Legacy (final months to post-exit) – Codifying lessons learned through board member, advisor, or mentor roles that are clearly scoped and do not blur operational accountability. Boomers should step away from daily decisions and fully endorse successor.

In Conclusion

Addressing the gap that will be left by retiring Boomers is an important part of succession planning and it is best done with them – leveraging their value, supporting them in exiting well, and honoring what they have built.

As these leaders approach retirement, their role should shift toward a renewed purpose that recognizes the unique value they bring to the organization. By designing this transition thoughtfully and respectfully, organizations not only strengthen their leadership pipeline but also foster a culture that values and honors those who have paved the way.