A generation of tribal leaders is preparing to retire. Here’s how to start succession planning.
- As more tribal leaders and key management gear up to retire, tribal councils can no longer put off succession planning to prepare a new generation to fill key government roles.
- An effective succession planning process includes creating a long-term vision for the tribe, identifying promising young members and working to develop those members into capable leaders who can step into a position when a tribal council or other leadership position becomes available.
- Lean on advisory support to help overcome succession planning obstacles, create government or council readiness assessments to evaluate learning areas for potential candidates and bring promising young people into your political process now rather than later to build momentum and buy in.
As a generation of tribal leaders prepares to retire, tribal councils should make succession planning a priority. Because the process is complex and nuanced, there is urgency here, even for tribes several years away from a key retirement.
Council members overseeing a succession planning effort may need to find a new CEO, president, tribal chair, council members and/or operational leaders for tribal governments or businesses. The planning will also need to balance leadership, cultural, business and political factors, alongside developing a bench of young talent ready to take on new responsibilities when the older generation steps back.
Keep reading to learn more about why tribal governments should embrace this journey and how to get started.
Why should tribal governments begin a succession planning process now?
For tribal councils busy managing both governmental and business affairs, succession planning may feel like a low-priority item. But this process is a long-term investment in the future of your tribe — and as more of your current leaders near retirement age, the need for capable successors will only continue to rise.
Here’s why tribal governments should make succession planning a priority today:
- Aging leadership: A generation of tribal council members and operational leaders is at or near retirement age, with some leaders already serving well into their 70s. The time is fast approaching when these leaders will need or want to retire.
- Slow-moving process: Finding new leaders doesn’t happen overnight. In most cases, your council will want to nurture internal talent, and even if you plan to look outside your tribal community to fill certain executive roles, that process will take time.
- Sustaining tribal culture: With honoring and maintaining tribal culture an essential priority for tribal governments, future leaders must be prepared to step into the cultural responsibilities that go along with their roles. This is one factor that makes tribal succession planning more complex than similar efforts in non-tribal organizations.
- Multidimensional roles: In addition to their cultural duties, tribal leaders may need to juggle political or operational responsibilities — if not both — along with ethics requirements and an awareness of the strict rules that govern federal grant funding. There are a lot of moving parts to consider here, and even the most promising future leaders will have much to learn.
- Political uncertainty: Tribal governments must also navigate the ongoing climate of uncertainty in Washington. The current administration temporarily paused tribal grant funding in 2025 and has floated potential cuts to future funding levels, creating additional challenges for tribal leaders and placing a premium on political and diplomatic skills.
In other words, tribal leaders have a great deal on their plates — and you can’t expect to find and prepare successors to key roles without giving that process time to play out.
What does an effective tribal succession planning process look like?
Effective succession planning is a thoughtful, ongoing process. Tribal councils and other governmental entities should seek to define a long-term vision, develop potential successors, consider how to best distribute decision-making and create practical educational opportunities to bolster the skillsets of future leaders.
1. Define a long-term vision
Your strategic vision for your tribe should form a foundation for your succession planning efforts. Where is your tribe now — and where do you want it to go?
Tribal governments typically think in terms of generational impact, so focus on the long-term here, weighing themes like longevity, consistency and growth when identifying goals. What will it take to help your tribe thrive not just now, but several generations down the road?
2. Identify who owns the process
Identify specific current leaders within your tribal council or government who will own the succession planning process. One or more individuals need to be the point people here, or the process will lose momentum and likely flounder.
The council members who own the process will be in charge of vetting and developing future leaders, tracking current leader retirement plans and keeping the council as a whole updated on where things stand.
3. Don’t try to replicate your current leader.
For tribal governments that have relied heavily on a long-established chairperson or executive to lead them, it can be tempting to look for a similar replacement. But that model is tough to replicate, because it relies on such a wide range of skills and intangibles coming together in one individual.
This ties into your council-chairperson dynamic and who makes decisions within your tribe. Is there an opportunity to reimagine tribal and council processes in a way that strengthens your tribe?
4. Think about your decision process
Take succession planning as an opportunity to evaluate your entire decision-making process. What is the current distribution of authority between your tribal chair, council, administration and other key roles — and does this current arrangement still make sense?
As these questions delve into chief-council dynamics and internal tribal politics, they can get complicated. Still, they are often worth asking.
5. Develop a bench of young talent
Begin developing the next generation of leaders within your tribe. This should be an intentional effort that includes identifying promising candidates, bringing those individuals into your council meetings, teaching them tribal traditions, introducing them to the political process and speaking honestly about the challenges that come with taking on a role in tribal government.
Think of this development effort as a feeder system similar to minor league baseball or the rodeo circuit. Not everyone in it will end up sitting on your tribal council one day, but by building it now, you’ll help ensure you’ve got likely candidates to fill those positions when the time comes.
6. Educate your future leaders on specific role responsibilities
Ideally, your tribal leadership should be a diverse group that draws from all backgrounds represented within your tribe. Their essential unifying factor should be a passion for the future of your tribe and a desire to carry forward your rich culture and heritage while also helping the tribe prosper.
Your future leaders may not be college-educated (nor need to be). In those cases, your government will need to help them learn about specific role responsibilities or knowledge areas that are essential to the job.
Tribal leaders should typically receive or possess basic financial and accounting knowledge, given that they hold significant grant management or oversight responsibilities. Likewise, future leaders should understand financial statements and be comfortable with ethics and reporting requirements.
Providing this kind of education can also help open your leadership roles up to a broader range of individuals who have the necessary drive, intelligence and character, even if they lack the formal educational background.
What are the next steps for you to get started?
Here’s how to get started kicking off your succession planning process:
- Lean on advisory support: Leverage an advisory firm to support your succession planning process. Your advisor can help you navigate practical and political obstacles, learn from what other tribal governments have done and help you hire for key operational roles.
- Get your younger generation involved now: Don’t wait to bring younger tribal members into the succession planning process. Kick this part off right away, both to create a runway to prepare future leaders and establish more buy-in among younger members who might otherwise be disinclined to participate.
- Create a council or tribal government readiness assessment: Craft a formal readiness assessment covering areas like eligibility, business basics, ethics, tribal law, communications and civics to assess future leaders on their current level of preparation.
- Implement training and development programs: To help upskill future leaders, start implementing training and development programs tailored to the skills and knowledge required to succeed in a council or other leadership role.
How Wipfli can help
We help tribal governments navigate change, strengthen economic performance and maintain sovereignty. Let’s talk about your goals and how strategies like succession planning can support your tribe’s long-term success. Start a conversation.
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