Readiness, Not Replacement

Move beyond reactive succession planning. This course helps leadership teams define what “ready” actually means and assess leadership capacity before gaps disrupt performance or culture.

Practical Tools for Real-World Use

Gain clear, usable frameworks for mapping bench strength, evaluating leadership potential, and guiding development—without adding complexity or creating administrative burden.

Built for Community Banks

Designed specifically for the structure, scale, and governance realities of community banks, this course aligns HR, executives, and boards around a shared approach to leadership continuity.

About the course

Community banks often approach succession planning reactively—addressing leadership gaps only when a transition is imminent. This course shifts the focus from replacement to readiness by providing a practical, repeatable framework for identifying, developing, and sustaining internal leadership capacity. Building Management Bench Strength was designed specifically for the operational realities of community banks. It avoids overly complex models and instead emphasizes clear definitions, shared language, and tools that leadership and HR teams can realistically use over time. Rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, the course equips participants with adaptable frameworks that can be applied across different roles, departments, and stages of organizational growth. The goal is to support leadership continuity, reduce institutional risk, and create a more intentional approach to talent development.

Who This Course Is For

Designed for: • Community bank HR leaders • CEOs and Presidents • Senior operations and administrative leaders • Directors involved in leadership and talent oversight • Managers preparing for expanded leadership responsibility If your institution relies on tenure, intuition, or last-minute decisions to fill leadership roles, this course provides a more structured and sustainable approach.

What You’ll Learn

By completing this course, participants will be able to: • Define leadership readiness in a clear, shared way • Assess internal bench strength without politics or guesswork • Distinguish performance from leadership capacity • Develop internal leaders without overloading high performers • Create a living succession process aligned with board and executive expectations

Valerie Overby, PCI Executive Education & Strategy

Valerie works with community banks to strengthen leadership readiness, governance alignment, and long-term organizational resilience. Through her work with PCI Performance Management, she designs practical executive education and strategic frameworks that help banks move from reactive decision-making to intentional leadership development. Her focus is on translating complex organizational challenges—such as succession planning, bench strength, and management readiness—into clear, usable tools that leadership teams can apply in real-world settings.

Curriculum

7 Chapters · 32 Lessons

  1. 1

    Welcome! Getting Started

    1. Welcome Free preview
    2. How to Use This Course Free preview
    3. What to Expect Free preview
    4. Suggested Preparation Free preview
    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Let's Begin!

  2. 2

    Why Succession Planning Keeps Failing

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      The Problem with Replacement Thinking

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Real Cost of Leadership Gaps

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Succession as a System, Not an Event

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Why Succession Planning Keeps Failing

  3. 3

    What “Ready” Actually Means

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Defining Leadership Readiness

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      The Four Dimensions of Readiness

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Performance vs. Potential vs. Readiness

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Applying the Readiness Framework

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      What “Ready” Actually Means

  4. 4

    Identifying Bench Strength (Without Politics)

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Why Bench Strength Conversations Get Avoided

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Objective Signals of Leadership Capacity

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Mapping Bench Strength Simply

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Common Pitfalls to Avoid

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Identifying Bench Strength (Without Politics)

  5. 5

    Developing Leaders Without Burning Them Out

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Why High Performers Burn Out First

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Development vs. Exposure vs. Responsibility

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Designing Realistic Development Plans

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Supporting Managers Through Development

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Developing Leaders Without Burning Them Out

  6. 6

    Making Succession a Living Process

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Why Annual Succession Reviews Fail

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Creating a Succession Rhythm

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      What to Document (and What Not To)

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Making Succession a Living Process

  7. 7

    Board & Executive Alignment

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      What Boards Actually Need to Know

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Communicating Succession Without Alarm

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      When to Seek External Support

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Board & Executive Alignment

Strengthen leadership readiness, reduce succession risk, and build internal capacity before it’s needed.

This course focuses on practical application rather than theory. The greatest value comes from revisiting the tools, having ongoing leadership conversations, and integrating readiness thinking into everyday decision-making.

$179.00

Pre-order now Free preview