Managing predecessors' shadows in executive transitions

Abstract

New leaders inevitably face comparisons with predecessors. After a short time these comparisons usually give way to judgments about the leader's performance. Occasionally, however, the presence of the predecessor continues to be felt long after the new leader has taken charge. The metaphor of a “shadow” cast by a predecessor is used to describe the process whereby memories of a former leader play a dominant role in shaping current behavior in the organization. A case is analyzed in which a burdensome shadow impeded a new leader's efforts to take charge of a state agency. Counterprojective group techniques helped the new leader and his staff lift the shadow and form a more productive working relationship. © 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.