Assignment: Leadership Development and Succession Planning
An effective succession plan is essential to ensure the continuity of a company's business objectives across multiple leaders. For this assignment, you will research and discuss the very public leadership changes that occurred in Apple Inc. and Yahoo! Inc.
Using the Argosy University online library resources and the Internet, research the leadership changes that occurred in the following two companies during the specified time period:
1. Steve Jobs leaving Apple Inc. in 2011.
2. Yahoo! Inc. between the years 2007 and 2012. During this period, the firm had over six individuals in the chief executive officer (CEO) position. When answering questions about Yahoo! Inc., you may include comments about any of the leadership changes within the specified time period.
For both companies provide a brief summary of the circumstances surrounding the changes in leadership and answer the following questions:
• What was the public plan prior to the departure of the CEOs?
• What business and HR objectives were most important prior to the switch?
• Was the chosen successor an internal or external hire? Why do you think that method was chosen? Was it successful?
After your initial posts respond to the following:
• How did the transition affect the business objectives of the company?
• Imagine the current CEO for each company internally announces that he or she is stepping down in one year. What strategies do you recommend HR implement to find a successor? How do these strategies align with the overall business objectives? How do they align with HR objectives?
Post your response to the appropriate Discussion Area. Review and comment on at least two peers' responses.
Write your initial response in 300-500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all components of the discussion question in detail, include citations of all sources, where needed, according to the APA Style, and demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Do the following when responding to your peers:
• Read your peers' answers.
• Provide substantive comments by
o contributing new, relevant information from course readings, Web sites, or other sources;
o building on the remarks or questions of others; or
o sharing practical examples of key concepts from your professional or personal experiences
• Respond to feedback on your posting and provide feedback to other students on their ideas.
• Make sure your writing
o is clear, concise, and organized;
o demonstrates ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and
o displays accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.