When a lab manager retires, takes another job, or leaves suddenly, the gap they leave behind can disrupt operations, morale, and experimental outcomes. Curtiss McNair, vice president of operations at Pangea Biotech, told attendees at the Lab Manager Leadership Summit that too many organizations scramble in these moments instead of preparing for them.
“If your organization waits to find a replacement when the seat is empty, you [have] already lost,” McNair said.
For McNair, succession planning is not a theoretical leadership exercise. It’s a practical, ongoing strategy that requires leaders to focus on roles rather than personalities, assess talent early, sponsor their people, and model leadership so others can grow into it.
Focus on roles, not just people
Effective succession planning, McNair explained, is planning based on the positions that will need to be filled and then finding well-suited personalities—rather than developing succession plans according to the current personalities on your staff.
“Succession has to do more with the position, and then you fit the personality into it,” he said.
This means starting with the basics: which positions are vital for continuity and success in your lab? Not every job needs a formal succession plan, but leadership-critical ones—such as lab director, operations manager, or safety officer—require it. By mapping these roles and clarifying the skills and authority they require, leaders can better match candidates to future responsibilities.
McNair noted that authority transfer is often overlooked but crucial. If an incumbent doesn’t actively empower their successor in front of the team, the successor will struggle. “Your successor’s success is solely dependent on your ability to adequately transfer that authority to the rest of the team and organization,” he said.
Assess and develop talent early
Succession planning fails when leaders only consider candidates close to or after a departure. Instead, McNair emphasized the importance of assessing talent continuously and giving staff structured development pathways.
“Along the way, we have to be able to assess talent, not only identify their gaps, but give them a realistic pathway to close those gaps and then help them facilitate that,” he said.
McNair uses a promotability timeline that categorizes staff into different readiness windows:
- 0–6 months: nearly ready, needing only minor exposure or coaching.
- 12–18 months: strong potential but requiring training, introductions, or a class.
- 24–36 months: promising but needing significant development or degree completion.
Equally important is recognizing who should not be on the list. “Not everybody is promotable, and if you promote the wrong person, you’ve got a bigger problem than not having a seat filled in the first place,” McNair said.
For lab leaders, this means combining formal evaluations with everyday conversations. A quick coffee, walk-through, or one-on-one meeting can reveal motivation, strengths, and career goals. Done consistently, these touchpoints also strengthen trust.
Sponsorship as leadership currency
Once promising staff are identified, leaders must go beyond mentorship. Sponsorship, McNair argued, is the true currency of career development.
He described two “currencies” by which you can achieve effective succession:
- Performance currency: delivering consistently strong results, which raises visibility at the right moments for you and your staff.
- Relationship currency: the investments leaders make in people by knowing their interests, advocating for them, and exposing them to opportunities.
For example, McNair has brought junior managers into executive meetings where they didn’t technically “belong.” Such moves elevate visibility and show rising leaders that they are trusted.
Leaders should also resist the temptation to replicate themselves. “What we don’t need is a whole bunch of you or a whole bunch of me,” McNair said. “I’m looking for team members where my weaknesses are their strengths and my strengths are their weaknesses.”
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Build confidence through exposure and example
Leadership cannot be developed in the abstract—it requires exposure, repetition, and affirmation. McNair outlined a simple but powerful cycle for preparing successors:
The model starts with leaders demonstrating how to handle responsibilities. Next, staff observe closely. Then, they step into the role while the leader provides feedback and support. Finally, the staff member takes ownership, with others observing and learning from them. This cycle not only builds competence but also confidence.
The process requires patience and a willingness to let others stumble while still affirming their growth. As McNair put it, “[I will] never forget the manager who gave me a chance when the only thing I had to offer was a positive attitude and a desire to learn.”
Conclusion: Leave a legacy of leaders
At its core, succession planning is about more than filling vacancies. It’s about leaving a legacy of leadership that outlasts any individual manager.
“Your job as a leader is not to just lead,” McNair told attendees. “Your job is to make more leaders.”
For lab managers, this means making succession a living part of everyday operations: identifying key roles, assessing talent early, sponsoring staff into visibility, and building confidence through example and exposure. Done right, succession planning ensures not just that the lab keeps running smoothly, but that its people grow into stronger, more capable versions of themselves.
And that, McNair emphasized, is the ultimate responsibility: “We don’t want to facilitate the gap going forward. We want to do better for those coming behind us than what was left for us.”
