Chapter 12: Leadership Succession is More About the Who and the Why than the How: An Analysis of Succession Planning Through an Ethical and Moral Lens

Over time, the role of principal has become increasingly difficult, complex, and even unmanageable. Not surprisingly, therefore, interest in and capacity for the role have begun to wane, leaving those charged with securing viable candidates perplexed and, often, disappointed. In this chapter, the authors address themselves to both aspirants to the work and to those more formal senior leaders and officials seeking to fill positions which become vacant as principals retire or leave the role for other opportunities. Demographic trends, as well as more technical realities, are conflating to the point that, in a number of jurisdictions, there is less and less interest in an exciting, dynamic and highly influential position. Why the challenge in managing formal leadership succession in schools? Is the very desire to “manage” the challenge at the root of the issue? What does it even mean to “manage” succession (planning) in schools? This chapter presents a counterpoint between succession planning writ large and a stance on succession steeped in a Catholic approach to leadership development.