The last act of good leaders is to ensure things go well when they're gone. Many legendary leaders failed at this: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and nearly every monarch in history. As much good as they did in their reigns, most of it was undone by those who followed. The same ego that drives grand leaders defeats them in the end because they can't accept the notion that someone will replace them. Succession planning must be part of any long-term leader's thinking, and it has to be done now.
