This masterclass brought together perspectives from local government and people development professionals to explore how organisations can build strong leadership pipelines and prepare future leaders for an increasingly complex environment.

Brian Hilton, Halton Borough Council, outlined a strategic approach to succession planning, demonstrating how organisations can align talent development with organisational priorities, workforce risks, future leadership capacity and service resilience. He emphasised that succession planning is a leadership responsibility, helping to ensure business continuity, develop future talent, reduce operational risk, improve retention and protect long-term organisational success.

Providing a personal perspective, Ian Baddiley, Halton Borough Council, shared his own leadership journey and the organisational support that enabled his progression. He reflected on the importance of opportunity, stretch assignments, sponsorship, visibility and a willingness to step outside of comfort zones. His experience reinforced the message that effective succession planning is not simply about filling vacancies, but about creating opportunities for people to develop and step into leadership roles before they are needed.

Andrew Larkin, CIPD, encouraged delegates to reflect on the experiences that enabled them to do their best work and consider how managers can create the conditions for others to thrive. He highlighted the importance of building a strong leadership pipeline, identifying potential leaders through qualities such as learning agility, adaptability, self-awareness and the ability to influence others. The session also explored the 70:20:10 development model, showing how future leaders are primarily developed through challenging work experiences, learning from others and, to a lesser extent, formal training.

Together, the speakers highlighted that developing future leaders requires a deliberate and sustained approach, combining strategic succession planning, supportive management and meaningful development opportunities to ensure organisations remain resilient and well-equipped to meet future challenges.

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