Start developing a stronger leadership pipeline with our free Succession Planning Template.
Available in Google Sheets, Excel, and PDF, this customizable template helps businesses organize succession data, identify high-potential employees, and plan effective transitions for key positions.
What Is a Succession Planning Template?
A succession planning template is a structured document that helps organizations identify and prepare future leaders to fill key roles when current employees retire, resign, or are otherwise unavailable.
By providing a consistent framework for this process, the template ensures that leadership transitions proceed smoothly and that the organization avoids disruption by keeping qualified talent ready to step into essential roles.
Download Spreadsheet Daddy’s Free Succession Planning Template
Our Succession Planning Template helps you track key positions, current holders, and potential successors in one organized view.
What’s included
- Position and current holder tracking: Dedicated fields let you log each critical role in your organization, along with the name of the person currently holding it, giving you a clear starting point for identifying where succession planning is most needed.
- Successor identification and readiness assessment: A Successor Candidate column, paired with a Readiness Level field, allows you to name potential replacements for each role and evaluate how prepared they are to step into the position if needed.
- Performance and potential ratings: Separate Performance Rating and Potential Rating fields enable you to assess employees using a 9-box style evaluation approach, helping you distinguish between strong current performers and those with high potential for future leadership roles.
- Development planning fields: The Development Needs and Action Plan columns give you space to outline specific skill gaps for each successor candidate and the concrete steps or training required to close them.
- Timeline and notes tracking: A Timeline column helps you set target dates for when a successor should be ready to transition into a role, while the Notes field provides room for any additional context, risks, or observations relevant to the succession plan.
Add or remove columns as needed to fit your organization’s specific planning process.
Select your preferred format from the options below to access a free, editable Succession Planning template:
How to Use Our Succession Planning Template
1. Download the Temperature Log template as an Excel file or PDF, or save a customizable copy directly to Google Sheets.
2. Complete the succession plan by entering the position details, identifying current leaders and future successors, assessing readiness and potential, outlining development needs, and creating an action plan with clear timelines.
3. Use the Notes section to include additional comments, performance observations, career development plans, or any important succession-related information.
