Leadership Development 211
It’s not always a ‘‘straight line,’’ but as the Bible progresses, the lead-
ership transitions generally become more planned and less random,
more peaceful and less violent, culminating in the orderly passage (de-
spite turbulent conditions) from Jesus to his disciples. Modern compa-
nies also need planned, peaceful leadership transitions if they are to last
more than a generation or two.
Samuel Curtis Johnson of S. C. Johnson arranged a smoother transi-
tion than David’s by ‘‘dividing up the kingdom’’ among his three off-
spring according to their desires and abilities. Helen Leopold-Johnson
now heads the recreational goods business, Curt Johnson the industrial
unit, and Herbert Fisk Johnson the largest unit, consumer products,
which includes such brands as Drano, Windex, and Raid.
How did Johnson accomplish this without the wholesale succession
mayhem of ‘‘David and Sons’’? There was a tradition of peaceful execu-
tive continuity and cooperation. As Helen Leopold-Johnson notes,
‘‘My grandfather set the tone in the 1920s, and my father came with
international growth and technology. Each generation brings something
different.’’
The offspring were given appropriate developmental assignments,
such as Johnson Bank, considered a ‘‘good farm team’’ for the children.
The family also set up a council of advisers, which helped them divide
up the responsibilities (similar to the Twelve Tribes of Israel) and pro-
vided a systematic mechanism for resolving disputes (no fratricide
here!). ‘‘We all came with slightly different strengths,’’ notes Helen
Leopold-Johnson. ‘‘You’re not in it for yourself, and it doesn’t matter
which piece is bigger than the other... If one of us goes berserk,
there’s a plan to remove that person.’’^17
Jack Welch’s ‘‘obsession’’ with a smooth transition came from the
firsthand knowledge that a contentious process often resulted in organi-
zational damage. When he himself had been chosen, the candidates
were subjected to a four-year head-to-head competition, and the com-
pany had become too internally focused. ‘‘Things were... becoming
very political... camps were being formed in the company. Pray to
God that doesn’t happen again.’’^18
Welch didn’t just ‘‘pray,’’ he planned. He made a list of the top can-