Leadership Succession and Organizational Performance: A Strategic Planning Approach to Educational Management

Abstract

Leadership succession is increasingly important in educational institutions because it shapes continuity, sta-bility, and strategic alignment. This study examined the status of leadership succession and its contribution to organizational performance in selected tertiary institutions in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mus-lim Mindanao (BARMM), using strategic planning as an institutional lens. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining survey responses from 140 participants and qualitative insights from 10 key informants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank-order correlation, thematic analysis, and triangulation. The findings showed that leadership succession was evident in the par-ticipating institutions, although its formalization and regularity varied. Succession planning contributed ex-tensively to organizational performance by strengthening leadership continuity, organizational stability, and strategic alignment. The study further found a strong and statistically significant positive relationship be-tween the status of leadership succession and organizational performance. At the same time, implementation remained challenging because of limited successor readiness, turnover pressures, resource constraints, and resistance to change. The study proposes the Adaptive Participatory Leadership Succession Framework for Schools, anchored on Policy, Pipeline, Participation, and Review. Overall, the findings affirm that succession planning is not merely a replacement mechanism but a strategic, evidence-based institutional function that can improve continuity, resilience, and long-term performance. The study underscores the need for educa-tional institutions to adopt more systematic, inclusive, and development-oriented approaches to leadership succession.