Leadership pipelines and organizational cruft

In the types of organizations that I lead, a leadership pipeline is a standard feature. Recruiting, training, deploying, and reviewing leaders can become the primary function of the senior staff. A good leadership pipeline will account for every stage of leadership opportunities from new member to senior staff and provide a detailed roadmap for each person interested in pursuing leadership within the organization.

A leadership pipeline is a necessary feature in growing organizations that must scale their staff structure while maintaining vision clarity/buy-in, team efficiency, and talent retention. (There are probably a few other benefits to a leadership pipeline that I’ve omitted.) As the team grows, more hierarchical tiers and sub-teams are required and therefore more leaders must be recruited and trained to manage the growing complexity.

However, the need for a formal leadership pipeline too early in the life of an organization can be a signal that the team is building organizational cruft (unnecessary complexity) instead of maintaining lean reporting systems and agile decision-making processes. The tendency for a senior leader to break larger teams into smaller teams, which require more leaders, could be a symptom of insecurities lurking below the surface.

Avoid the temptation to build a formal leadership pipeline too early in the life of a young organization.