Succession Planning: Filling the Empty Seats at the Table 

As firm leaders, we are likely familiar with strategic planning, where we set goals, align resources, and track progress toward growth. Succession planning, at its core, is not much different. The process is still about envisioning a future, building a plan, and executing step by step. The difference is that succession planning carries a date certain: the day when you, as the founder, will step away from the business and into the next chapter of your life. 

As both an engineer and advisor, I see succession as designing a structure that must stand long after its builder has moved on. You are not only planning for business continuity; you are preparing for your own transition into the life you have imagined outside of the firm. That makes succession planning both professional and deeply personal. And just like any well-designed plan, it requires practical steps and intentional action. In the following sections, we will explore the common challenges and opportunities that define effective succession planning. 

Clarifying the Seats at the Table 

Many founders in the AEC industry share a common experience. You look around your firm and see capable, highly skilled technical staff. Yet when it comes to the business of the business, such as sales and marketing, delivery, finance, and administration, the seats around your table are empty. You are left to carry the burden of growth alone. 

Those seats are not truly empty because each of those core functions must happen for the company to continue. In most firms, they are being filled by you as the founder. Without the urgency of succession, a founder could stay in all these seats indefinitely. It may not be advisable, but it is possible. Succession planning, however, turns this into an acute issue. It forces a clear-eyed look at who will carry the load in each of these critical functions when you are no longer at the table. 

A major step in succession planning is filling the seats at your table by clearly identifying which seat does what and equipping your staff not only with technical excellence but also with the business acumen needed to sit in these seats and serve as true strategic partners. When leaders emerge from within, succession becomes not just possible but powerful. 

Developing Leaders to Fill the Seats 

Leadership development is not an optional add-on. It is the step that connects recognizing the empty seats to preparing people to fill them. Once you acknowledge that the founder cannot occupy every seat forever, you must intentionally build the capacity of your team to take on these roles. This shift is what allows a firm to move from dependence on a single leader to strength across a leadership team. 

This begins by making the invisible visible. Each empty seat around your table represents a function that must be understood and managed. Developing leaders means helping them see that finance drives decision-making, sales and marketing fuels the pipeline, operations and delivery sustain client trust, and administration creates stability. 

The transition from technical expert to strategic contributor does not happen by chance. It requires training, mentorship, and real opportunities to step into business conversations. The founder’s role shifts from doing the work to teaching others how to think about the business, making space for them to practice and grow. 

When approached this way, leadership development is strategic planning in action. You are not just preparing people to take on tasks. You are building the firm’s future capacity to think, decide, and act beyond you. 

Succession as Both Business and Life 

Succession planning is unique because it bridges two journeys. On one hand, the firm must continue scaling sustainably. On the other, you as the founder are stepping into your next chapter, the life you may have delayed while building the business. 

As an engineer, I think of succession as transferring the load from temporary scaffolding to permanent supports. The firm must be built to stand on its own, with leaders in place who can carry both technical and business responsibilities. At the same time, you must prepare yourself to release the load you have carried for so long. 

That requires: 

• Clarity on your personal timeline and vision. 

• Development of leaders who can carry both technical and business responsibilities. 

• A structured transition plan that balances business needs with personal goals. 

When approached this way, succession planning stops being an anxious countdown. Instead, it becomes the natural culmination of years of hard work and planning. It is an opportunity to see both the firm and your own life flourish. 

Conclusion: Filling the Empty Seats at the Table 

Succession planning is not just a business necessity; it is a leadership responsibility. It is about making sure the table is full with staff trained and equipped to share the weight of growth, so that when you step away, the firm continues to thrive. 

At the same time, it is about you. It is about stepping into the life you have imagined, one not defined by constant demands but by the freedom you worked hard to earn. Just as an engineer designs with both strength and longevity in mind, you can prepare your firm and yourself for a future that lasts. 

If you are ready to start building the leadership capacity your firm needs for the future, let's connect. Email me at info@odysseyadvisors.us and start doing simple better today.