The article focuses on the importance of succession planning in organizations and suggests ways to design and implement a succession plan. A succession plan must adhere to the organization's definition of critical leadership capability and should include consistent demonstration of behaviors that are considered necessary for organizational success. Strong succession planning must assess whether the individual demonstrates the organization's core competencies and guide individual development for those included in the plan. The human resources (HR) department should design the succession planning process and should monitor if it is being implemented in a correct manner. The HR department should also structure forums to review candidates' job performance and behaviors.