Succession planning has long been one of the most structured disciplines in organisational life. Identify your high potentials early, develop them steadily, and ensure a smooth transition when the time comes. The logic is reassuring in its clarity. Yet the assumptions that underpin it are increasingly difficult to sustain. The traditional succession pipeline was designed for a world in which strategy was stable, roles were predictable, and the horizon was long enough to devel

Increasingly, employees are not resisting AI but withdrawing psychologically. They stay present and compliant but disengaged from the meaning and value of their work. While transformation progresses, meaningful engagement does not keep pace.