Thank you for all of your support. Please let us know what you think about our podcast and what topic you may want to hear from us. Leaders, Lead Well!

Most organizations say they have a succession plan.
Very few are actually do.

The simple fact is this: succession planning is not about replacing people.
It’s about building leadership capacity and ensuring continuity—before risk turns into reality.

Yet too often, succession planning is treated like an emergency response instead of a strategic priority. And when there’s no real plan, the cost is high: eroded culture, stalled strategy, and a loss of trust at the very top. It’s no wonder boards are increasingly nervous about leadership pipelines.

Once again, we are joined by Patrick Duriaux, a globally recognized authority in HR and succession planning. Patrick is a global CHRO and seasoned HR leader with over twenty years of experience driving cultural transformation, leadership development, and performance improvement in international organizations. A certified Intelligent Leadership® Master Coach trained by John Mattone, he brings more than a decade of coaching expertise focused on emotional intelligence, human connection, and purposeful growth.

Patrick joins Rich and Maikel as we reframe succession planning for what it truly is—not an HR process, but a strategic leadership system. Not a conversation about today’s roles, but a future-focused dialogue about capability, readiness, and leadership maturity.

Because real succession planning sends a powerful culture signal:
We don’t just fill roles here. We develop leaders.

Leaders, Lead Well!

Thank you to all of our listeners in over 100 countries and now, 1,000 cities worldwide, we greatly appreciate your support! We truly hope that what we bring to our listeners will improve your ability as leaders.

Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as one of the top Executive Coaching Podcast in the world based on thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media, followers & freshness.

https://blog.feedspot.com/executive_coaching_podcasts/

John Mattone Global: https://johnmattone.com/

Rich Baron:
rbaron@richbaronexecutivecoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-baron/
https://www.richbaronexecutivecoaching.com/

Maikel Bailey:
mbailey@intelligentleadershipec.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikelbailey/
https://maikelbailey.com/

Thank you for all of your support. Please let us know what you think about our podcast and what topic you may want to hear from us. Leaders, Lead Well!

For decades, organizations have been built around the idea of the heroic CEO—the singular visionary, chief decision-maker, and ultimate problem solver. But in 2026, that model is breaking down.

In today’s environment of complexity, speed, AI acceleration, and constant disruption, leadership can no longer sit at the top of a single individual. The hero CEO doesn’t scale. It concentrates risk, slows decision-making, and quietly undermines trust and accountability across the organization.

If you’re a senior leader, board member, or executive coach navigating the realities of leadership in 2026, this conversation challenges some of the most deeply held assumptions about power, control, and what it truly means to lead.

Join Rich and Maikel on this episode of Mainline Executive Coaching ACT as we explore why the era of the hero CEO is ending—and why collective leadership is emerging as the only sustainable model for high-performing organizations. We unpack what collective leadership really means (and what it doesn’t), the hidden costs of over-centralized leadership, and the inner shifts CEOs must make to move from being “the answer” to becoming the architect of leadership systems.

Leaders, Lead Well!

Thank you to all of our listeners in over 100 countries and now, 1,000 cities worldwide, we greatly appreciate your support! We truly hope that what we bring to our listeners will improve your ability as leaders.

Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as one of the top Executive Coaching Podcast in the world based on thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media, followers & freshness.

https://blog.feedspot.com/executive_coaching_podcasts/

John Mattone Global: https://johnmattone.com/

Rich Baron:
rbaron@richbaronexecutivecoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-baron/
https://www.richbaronexecutivecoaching.com/

Maikel Bailey:
mbailey@intelligentleadershipec.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikelbailey/
https://maikelbailey.com/

Thank you for all of your support. Please let us know what you think about our podcast and what topic you may want to hear from us. Leaders, Lead Well!

As we close out 2025, one thing is clear: leaders and teams can’t simply optimize their way into the future — they must renew. In a world shaped by rapid AI advancement, hybrid work, and ongoing uncertainty, renewal is no longer a soft idea. It’s a strategic reset.

This episode explores what renewal of leadership and teams truly means as we move into 2026. Renewal isn’t about adding more — it’s about releasing what no longer serves us: outdated behaviors, rigid structures, and fear-based cultures — and amplifying what does: trust, empathy, agility, and human connection.

For leaders, renewal means shifting from reactive problem-solvers to proactive navigators. It requires pairing human judgment with AI fluency, leading with greater self-awareness, and building cultures grounded in psychological safety and truth-telling. Less hierarchy and control — more clarity, courage, and ethical decision-making.

For teams, renewal shows up as energy, ownership, and adaptability. The highest-performing teams in 2026 are psychologically safe, hybrid by design, skills-focused, and deeply accountable. They break down silos, learn through experimentation, and grow through coaching, mentoring, and real-time feedback.

We also outline a practical roadmap for renewal:

• Reflect and release what’s holding leaders and teams back
• Set antifragile goals that align growth with purpose
• Invest in development through coaching, mentorship, and AI-enabled learning
• Foster collaboration through flatter structures and shared ownership
• Measure, adapt, and celebrate progress to sustain momentum

Ultimately, renewal isn’t a one-time initiative — it’s a continuous cycle. Organizations that commit to it build stronger cultures, make better decisions, and achieve more sustainable performance.

Join Rich and Maikel on this episode of Mainline Executive Coaching ACT, as we challenge leaders to rethink renewal — not by adding more, but by letting go of what no longer serves their teams.

Leaders, Lead Well!

Thank you to all of our listeners in over 100 countries and now, 1,000 cities worldwide, we greatly appreciate your support! We truly hope that what we bring to our listeners will improve your ability as leaders.

Mainline Executive Coaching ACT has been recognized by FeedSpot as one of the top Executive Coaching Podcast in the world based on thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media, followers & freshness.

https://blog.feedspot.com/executive_coaching_podcasts/

John Mattone Global: https://johnmattone.com/

Rich Baron:
rbaron@richbaronexecutivecoaching.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-baron/
https://www.richbaronexecutivecoaching.com/

Maikel Bailey:
mbailey@intelligentleadershipec.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maikelbailey/
https://maikelbailey.com/