If you’re stepping down as your company’s leader but still want to be involved in some way, you have options. Below, experts share insights on negotiating different types of involvement as part of your succession plan and strategies that can help ensure both you and your company flourish.
Start early
There are multiple ways to contribute to your company without leading it. A year or two before you leave, reflect on which path will best fit your own needs—as well as your company’s. “Have open conversations early on,” says Trina Aguirre, founder and CEO of Executive Exit Plan. “People are sometimes fearful or guilty about leaving. But a lot of times, companies will want their advice.”
David Radin, creator of Time Management in the Age of AI and CEO of Confirmed, agrees that making decisions in advance and getting everyone on the same page is essential. As a Dale Carnegie consultant, he coaches clients with succession planning and works with founders and executive teams. In his experience, “If you wait until a company changes hands, it’s too late.”
While you’re still in your role, you can make an impact on your company by creating processes to help it operate easily with new leadership and go in the direction you envision once you step down. Developing these processes includes procedural documentation and cultivating the skill sets of people who will assume new responsibilities, says Radin.
Consider your options
One way to step down without stepping away entirely is to serve on the company’s board. “If you’re a CEO or already on the board, you can negotiate continuing to be a board member or becoming a board member if you’re not one already,” says Aguirre.
Some people, often retiring CEOs, choose not to be on the board. Instead, they might coach and hire their successor. “If you’re leaving on good terms and know you’re leaving 18 months in advance, you can train someone in the company or search for the person to replace you,” explains Aguirre. As a former payroll director turned career transition strategist, she helps high-achieving professionals—especially women—build profitable exit strategies from corporate careers. She encourages her clients to specify how long they will train successors, how long they will be available to their successors after leaving, and what they will receive in exchange.
Retiring individuals might also negotiate a contracting or consulting role with their company to wean themselves into retirement. In this case, you should start negotiating your compensation 18 to 24 months in advance and secure a written contract.
Depending on your preferences, you might choose to volunteer after stepping down from your role. You can volunteer to train other leaders, help with fundraising or remain involved in initiatives that you implemented within your organization, Aguirre suggests. If you are leaving your company in the middle of a campaign, it’s likely the board will offer you compensation for staying to finish the campaign.
Maintaining ownership by owning the stock but handing over leadership to someone else is another option, says Radin. A final possibility is becoming a brand ambassador who attends public events on the company’s behalf. If you have pre-existing relationships with business leaders and politicians, this role can be especially compelling for you and your company.
Present your case
Whichever route you choose, you’ll need approval, so start documenting your contributions to the company so that you can present an offer the board can’t say no to. Be strategic when explaining how your involvement is in the best interest of the company, Aguirre recommends. For instance, if you want to be a brand ambassador, don’t say, “I don’t want to leave. I’m attached.” Outline the benefits for the company. You can say, “I have relationships already from being the face [of the company]. I’ll leverage those connections to advance our mission.”
HR is not the decision-maker if you want to be a brand ambassador, Aguirre says. “Talk to the highest person in the company, or talk to whoever is taking over—whoever is perceived to be the decision-maker and can advocate for you.” You will probably present to the board too.
Remaining on the board after leaving the company also requires the board’s approval. Come to this meeting with a proposed succession planning contract, including the specifics of how you want to stay involved. “Highlight [the] incentive of [an] orderly transition,” Radin says. “They might only say yes if they think you add value that they don’t have or if you’re decreasing their risk.”
In cases where your company is being acquired, identify who is in control. “Sometimes high-level employees are decision-makers. Sometimes there’s an acquisition team,” Radin explains. If you want to stay involved, you need to talk to whoever is actually negotiating the deal. “It’s in both parties’ best interest for you to be as involved as they need you to be involved,” Radin says. “So you can ask the person you’re negotiating with, ‘What role do you want me to play?’”
If you’re interested in coaching, contracting, consulting or leading a campaign, hammer out the details in a written contract at least a year before your departure. Compensation for your time and assets should be part of this conversation. “[It should] never just be a verbal agreement,” says Aguirre. “Sometimes smaller firms don’t run by the book and do verbal side agreements because they’re friends, and that usually doesn’t work out… you need it in writing to have leverage.”
Step in without overstepping
Self-reflection is required throughout this process. “Why do you want to be involved?” Radin asks. “There are compelling reasons, like you don’t want to retire, you want to support the mission, you want to support people succeeding you or you have a package where you’re still compensated. But you need to ask yourself this.”
Knowing your reasons for staying involved will help you be careful about what you’re offering, Aguirre says. You should ensure that your proposed involvement is really what you want to do and that it aligns with the goals you have after leaving your company.
Mentally preparing to not be in charge anymore is important too. “You’re in control of the company in your mind, and when another leader takes your place and you still want to help, it’s not easy to let go,” Aguirre says. “The lines are blurred unless there’s a clearly defined plan for what you’re doing, for how long and what results you are delivering.”
She recommends finding someone to confide in, such as a therapist, as leaving a high-ranking leadership role can be challenging. “If you’re a CEO, that role is tied to your identity, so stepping down can be like mourning a loss,” she says.
Of course, stepping down also offers new opportunities and the potential to remain involved in some way. “If you believe it’s possible, it can happen,” Aguirre says. By starting early and developing a strategic way to present what you would like to do, the succession planning process can be incredibly rewarding.
Photo by hxdbzxy/Shutterstock. This article originally appeared in the July issue of SUCCESS+ digital magazine.
