Let's talk about the question your board isn't asking out loud: Is it time for our ED/CEO to leave?

Not because they're failing. Not because they're old. But because the organization likely needs something different than what they can deliver right now, or needs to prepare for when that time comes.

New McKinsey research on 200 top CEOs found that leaders in their final stage—"Winter"—have predictable blind spots. The most critical one: recognizing when to leave is a leadership competency, and most leaders don't have it.

Winter isn't age-based. It's accountability-based. It arrives when:

• Strategic clarity fades (playing it safe or making erratic moves)
• The succession process goes under-managed
• The leader's self-assessment doesn't match what the board and team see (which happens 100% of the time, according to the data)

Here's what this means for boards: Waiting for your ED/CEO to recognize it's time is a failure of governance.

The best transitions happen when boards step in proactively—not because the ED is unsuccessful, but because recognizing the right moment to leave is nearly impossible to see from the inside.

Whether you're a board member or an executive leader, your job isn't to wait for a crisis. It's to see Winter coming and plan accordingly.

I help boards navigate this exact moment—when you know change is needed but the path forward isn't clear. If you as a leader, or as a board member are sensing it's time but do not know how to move forward, let's talk.

This isn't personal. It's critical.

P.S. The McKinsey research backs up what you're probably already sensing. Trust that instinct.