Do you know your successor?

Today - January 15th, Indian Army is celebrating the Army Day. Its a great day and a proud moment for India. For many, who just like me who do not know the importance of this day - you are in luck! A refresher course is here. Today is the day when, in 1949, the outgoing British commander-in-chief General Sir Francis Butcher passed on the strings of the Indian Army to Lt General Kodandera Madappa Kariappa. Today, this day is marked by parades and other military shows in Army headquarters. Similar to the Army Day, the Navy celebrates Navy Day on December 4th and the Air force celebrates Air Force Day on October 8th.

A friend of mine jolted me to read and think about this day and urged me to write about the significance. However, knowing the slight bent in my thinking, I acknowledge this day to be of great significance in understanding the most important event of our life - planning for our successor.

We have all understood that nature changes itself continuously. And so are we. Many learned people have all said - “Change is the only constant in life”. Then what do you believe of leaving behind? What do you think shall happen when you are gone? What impact do you want to leave behind?

The world always remembers and respects the great leaders for all the wonderful work they have done. However, the respect lasts only till the time the work remains into effect. With the passing of time, the policies and philosophies of the leaders fade away. The leaders, who have carefully planned out their successors through training and coaching, ensure that their philosophies last as long as their successors remain in effect.

History is full of examples when the kings have planned their dynasty carefully by choosing the correct heirs. And mankind has paid severely for the mistakes committed – Mahabharata – when Devdutta did not succeed Shantanu.

Sage Vishwamitra who had been a king himself coached Rama. And Sage Vashishtha who was the most learned of all educated Rama. Both the sages made sure that Rama became a benevolent king, yet strong and powerful.

Bhishma also entrusted Dronacharya and Kripacharya to identify the successor for Dhritrashtra amongst Pandavas and Kauravas.

Providing a successor is also seen as a debt to ancestors in the Hindu way of thinking as per a story, a hermit Jaratkaru had a vision of his forefathers hanging upside down in a dark abyss. Jaratkaru asked them how could he help. His ancestors told him that in order for them to be reborn, he had to give up his chastity and produce offsprings.

A few years ago when I visited my hometown Lucknow, all of our family went picnicking at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park on Rae Bareli Road. This park is dedicated to the farmers and village living, which is a predominant part of India. At the center of the park, there is an unfinished building with a big rotunda and stairs rising to nowhere. The park also houses an amphitheater that shows no sings of use. Upon enquiring, I was told that this was a pet project of the BJP government when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the PM. The park was being developed with a vision of a VIP guesthouse and a world-class amphitheater to bolster the economy of the nearby villages. However, as the political parties in power changed, so did the ideologies and funding for the ongoing projects? The park today is unfinished.

Organizations today choose their successors very carefully as this drives their market potential and strength. GE has been known for a great track record in succession planning. And look they have produced world-class leaders. HP and Yahoo on the other hand have had their handsful of leaders playing the musical chair.