Beyond Brilliance: Building Legacy-Driven Leadership Pipelines In Learning Organizations

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2026

School

Leadership

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to examine why many organizations fail to build strong leadership pipelines despite capable leaders. It reframes succession planning as a legacy-driven responsibility linking leadership development to continuity and social goals. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from agency, human capital and succession theories, the paper presents the LEGACY Model – a six-pillar framework developed through conceptual synthesis of recent research. The model integrates mentoring, transparency and incentive alignment and connects explicitly to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 8. Findings – Ego, misaligned incentives and short-term thinking often hinder succession. Embedding legacy thinking, aligning incentives and maintaining visibility strengthen succession outcomes and talent continuity. Research limitations/implications – As a conceptually grounded study, the framework would benefit from empirical validation. Future research should test LEGACY’s indicators and SDG linkages across sectors and cultural settings. Practical implications – It provides leaders with tools for early talent identification, dual career paths and transparent metrics, positioning succession as a continuous, socially responsible process. Originality/value – The LEGACY Model shows how each pillar contributes to SDGs 4 and 8.

Publication Title

Development and Learning in Organizations

First Page

1

Last Page

3

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