When 42% of leaders leave without warning, most companies panic. Amanda, finance turned HR strategist and chartered manager, explains how to future-proof your team before the vacancy hits.

In this episode, we unpack practical, data-driven succession planning, why “accidental managers” are costing you growth, and how HR earns a real seat at the table by thinking like a business owner.

You’ll learn:

What succession planning really is (and isn’t) and how to start it in a week

The data, dashboards and conversations HR must run to stop talent gaps

How to develop managers who can actually lead (not just do the job)

Why cross-generational hiring (T-Levels, grads) keeps you relevant in an AI world

The underrated skills: mediation, communication, reflection, resilience

If this helped, subscribe for more episodes and share with a leader who needs a plan, not a panic.

Chapters

00:00:00 — Chance, Not Plan: Amanda’s HR Origin

00:02:18 — Thrown In: Studying While Doing the Job

00:04:50 — Succession Defined: Your People Contingency Plan

00:06:56 — Scaling Playbook: Building Talent “Our Way”

00:07:58 — From Gut to Data: Decisions That Stick

00:09:55 — HR at the Table: Think Like an Owner

00:12:25 — Why Most Succession Fails (And Who’s Missing)

00:14:18 — Planning in Uncertainty: Hire the Future In

00:16:58 — Maintain vs. Hyper-Scale: Knowing Your Path

00:18:53 — Career Moats: Learning, Credentials, Confidence

00:19:50 — Reflection as Strategy: Walk, Think, Improve

00:23:10 — Accidental Managers: The Hidden Cost

00:27:00 — Next-Gen Leadership: Firm, Human, Resilient

00:29:12 — Post-COVID Reality: Psychological Safety Pays

00:31:10 — Hard Talks, Soft Skills: Mediate & Communicate

00:34:18 — One Thing I’d Tell My Younger Self

4 Hosts 4 Seasons – A recap of how everything started and our favorite moments of SMACK-history