Many medical groups have difficulty developing a succession plan for practice leadership. Some practices do not even have a formal governance structure in place (though they should), but even those that do may find it challenging to identify and train new leaders to assume responsibility when senior physician leaders step down.

Having a leadership succession plan in place is critical for a number of reasons. In practices where leadership is handled by one physician or concentrated in a small group of physicians, it will inevitably take time for new leaders to learn the nuances of the practice. Introducing future practice leaders to key aspects of practice management early-on will enable them to gain institutional knowledge so that they are better prepared to step into the leadership roles if and when the need arises.

Changes in leadership can occur unexpectedly in the event of catastrophic events for example. Where this occurs, having knowledgeable and willing physicians to step into the leadership roles will help to minimize the disruption caused by such an event. Here are a few things to consider in developing a leadership succession plan:

–Develop job descriptions for existing leadership roles. These should identify the key functions and responsibilities of each position;
Identify physicians within the practice with leadership potential. Practice leaders should ideally demonstrate leadership skills and business acumen (or an ability to develop it) and should also be interested in and willing to participate in leadership;

–Develop opportunities to involve future leaders in practice management on a limited basis. For example, future leaders may be charged with exploring new practice initiatives or other “special projects” and reporting back to practice leadership;

–Finally, senior practice leaders should look for opportunities to actively teach leadership skills and practice management to potential future leaders. This can be done through regular meetings to discuss practice finances, human resources issues, new business opportunities and the like.