The Power of Breakthrough: Finding Clarity in Succession Planning

Clarity comes when you ask the right questions. Breakthrough moments change everything.

In October 2020, standing on the precipice of selling the majority interest of our business to my partners, something remarkable happened. 

A moment of clarity washed over me like a wave, revealing my next calling with unmistakable certainty: cultivating impact.

My “finishing well” purpose was to invest time and capital in businesses that generate measurable financial returns alongside spiritual, social, or environmental impact. And to continue that impact for generations.

That breakthrough moment changed everything.

This clarity didn’t arrive by accident. It came through intentional questioning, deep reflection, prayer, and the courage to face reality.

And it’s this same process of breakthrough we will explore in a new seven-part series.

The Breakthrough Series: What to Expect

Over the next seven posts, we’ll dive deep into how breakthroughs happen in succession planning—those pivotal moments when fog lifts and the path forward becomes clear.

Each installment will explore a different aspect of breakthrough thinking, aligned with the seven steps of the Succession Planning for Impact Process.

But before we begin that journey, we need to establish a fundamental truth: breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation.

They emerge through conversation, questioning, and the willingness to see your business with fresh eyes.

The Power of Questions

As is mentioned in the book, “Succession Planning for Impact,” becoming an “encourager-in-chief” involves “asking a lot of great questions and having the discipline not to answer them!”

This might seem counterintuitive. After all, as leaders, we’re accustomed to providing answers, not questions.

But here’s the truth: the most powerful breakthroughs often come when we create space for others to discover solutions.

When you ask questions instead of providing answers, you:

1. Foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning

2. Encourage critical thinking among team members

3. Break away from habitual thinking patterns

4. Create an environment where it’s safe not to have all the answers

5. Help your team see the business from different angles

The Inevitable Reality

At the heart of succession planning lies an uncomfortable truth: One day, something will demand your departure from your business. It might be retirement, health issues, or new opportunities. Whatever the catalyst, the reality remains—your exit is inevitable.

Knowing this reality and not planning for it is foolish. Yet, according to Harvard Business Review, 70% of businesses fail to make it to their second generation of leadership.

Why? Because founders and CEOs avoid confronting this reality until it’s too late.

The breakthrough begins with two simple but profound acceptances:

1. Accept the fact of your eventual exit from your business. This isn’t pessimism—it’s realism. Every founder leaves eventually. The only question is whether that departure will be planned or unplanned.

2. One of the greatest legacies you can leave behind is a business that continually makes a profit and blesses its community for generations!

Finding Clarity Through Conversation

The answers you seek already exist within you.

Your succession planning team’s role is to help clear the fog so those answers can become clear. This happens through intentional conversations. Questions for these seven conversations appear at the end of each chapter of the book Succession Planning for Impact.

These conversations allow thoughts to marinate among the leaders involved.

And remember, as the senior leader, you should speak last.

If at all.

When you openly ask questions, seek input, and admit you don’t have all the answers, it sends a powerful message that curiosity and innovation are valued.

The Hero’s Journey

In many ways, succession planning is a hero’s journey.

It requires courage, sacrifice, and a willingness to transform.

Your goal is to create a life plan that will give you a deep sense of meaning and helps set goals that ensure you actually achieve the most important goals in your life.

The Breakthrough Awaits

As we embark on this seven-part series, approach each installment with an open mind and heart.

The breakthroughs you seek—whether in succession planning, leadership development, or defining your company’s impact—begin with the questions you’re willing to ask.

Your business has an impact worth continuing. Your legacy reflects the lessons you have learned and celebrates what was important to you. It captures the important moments of your life. And it all begins with breakthrough moments of clarity.

Next week we will dive into our first breakthrough topic.

Harry T. Jones

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