A string of Hollywood hits have been addressing succession planning with settings starting from a New York high-rise to a Montana ranch and from pews of a megachurch to places of work in hip-hop leisure.
Though the featured companies and storylines range, all of them have one factor in frequent—characters who make one unhealthy transfer after one other in succession planning. Their missteps are many, however listed below are a number of examples of what to not do, courtesy of intelligent TV plotlines, together with some skilled recommendation for every scenario provided by Texas lawyer Barry Inexperienced.
It’s uncertain the fictional characters would take Inexperienced’s solutions—they do, in any case, thrive on drama—however with a number of proactive steps, you may keep away from making the identical errors.
The Righteous Gems
World-famous televangelist Eli Gemstone and his household love God, however the almighty greenback can be close to and expensive to their hearts. Eli and his grown youngsters—Jesse, Judy and Kelvin—are mourning the lack of matriarch Aimee-Leigh and determining find out how to navigate life and their ministries with out her. Vying for his or her father’s approval and a bit of the Gemstone legacy, the immature trio makes all of the improper strikes, leaning into debauchery and crime.
Dangerous transfer: Jesse Gemstone is blackmailed with a video of him and his church buddies partying with prostitutes and snorting cocaine within the first episode. The blackmailers demand $1 million, which Jesse doesn’t have as a result of “Daddy limits [his] spending.” However little sister Judy involves the rescue with the chilly arduous money she embezzled and hid within the air-con vent of a Sunday faculty classroom.
Skilled recommendation: Was Nancy Reagan’s “Simply Say No” marketing campaign all for naught? Your non-public time is your non-public time, however you may’t stay your life so full throttle that your decisions, if made public, might derail even the most effective made succession plans. Positive, Child Billy could be impressed by your wild methods, however the board of administrators received’t be. And like Eli nearly definitely tried to show Jesse, “nothing good occurs after midnight.” Even the most effective laid plans can’t survive a seedy video that turns into trending.
Easy methods to watch: Initially aired 2019 to 2025 on HBO Max. Now obtainable on a number of streaming platforms.
Succession
Brusque patriarch Logan Roy helms Waystar Royco, one of many largest media and leisure firms on the earth, whereas his youngsters scheme find out how to acquire management of the “household enterprise.” The Roy siblings—Kendall, Shiv, Roman and Connor—love their father, however the relationships are twisted, based mostly on energy performs with Logan as puppet grasp, somewhat than doting dad.
Dangerous transfer: Kendall is poised to take over Waystar from his ageing father within the first episode, however Logan has a last-minute change of coronary heart, saying at his birthday lunch that he’s determined to remain. A surprised Kendall asks—“And undo 18 months of company technique?”
In the identical scene, it’s additionally revealed that Logan tricked Kendall into signing a revised doc including Marcia, Logan’s third spouse, to the household belief and giving her Logan’s board seat when he dies, doubling her votes.
Skilled recommendation: Kendall, if you wish to maintain entry to the helicopters, jet and the yacht, you’re going to need to be nimble. At all times have contingency plans that embrace worst-case situations. That means, when your hopes and desires to be named CEO are postponed, you’re ready to both be soldier, launch a competing firm with Roman and Shiv or simply hand over and bail to the Hamptons (like several non-serious individual would do). In any other case, you’ll simply find yourself expressing concern for “losing 18 months of company technique,” which can solely get you a giant sigh from Logan—and deservedly so.
Easy methods to watch: Initially aired 2018 to 2023 on HBO Max. Now obtainable on a number of streaming platforms.
Empire
Hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon is recognized with ALS and should resolve which son will take over as CEO of Empire Leisure upon his demise. The brothers are a trio of expertise—Empire CFO Andre, R&B singer-songwriter Jamal and rapper Hakeem—and Lucious pits them in opposition to one another. Ex-wife Cookie is launched from jail in time to not solely take a stab at reclaiming her share of the enterprise but additionally reconnect together with her boys.
Dangerous transfer: Lucious calls the boys collectively within the pilot episode and pronounces his successor might be chosen in an arbitrary means. “It received’t occur right now or tomorrow, however I’ll begin grooming somebody quickly, and it will probably solely be one in every of you,” he says. The dialog has ominous overtones, as he notes with disgust that none of them seem like ready to take over. Shocked by his dad’s methodology, Jamal in contrast the scenario to a Shakespearean tragedy.
Skilled recommendation: Lucious, the place did you learn that your successor should come from a pool of restricted decisions? That is Empire, not Survivor. If you need the youngsters taken care of, that doesn’t imply it’s a must to gamble the corporate’s very existence by placing it in any of their incapable arms. Begin trying outdoors the group for a doable successor who’s a extra appropriate choice. And your heirs can nonetheless be arrange with an possession/monetary curiosity with out having the ability to management, and probably damage, what you have got constructed. The lesson: Don’t restrict your self by imaginary constraints. Oh, and because you’re a former drug supplier, I’d steer clear of that Jesse character from Gems.
Easy methods to watch: Initially aired 2015 to 2020 on Fox. Now obtainable on a number of streaming platforms.
Yellowstone
Fifth-generation rancher John Dutton and his household personal the most important cattle ranch in Montana: the Yellowstone. Over 5 seasons, he and his youngsters—Lee, Beth, Kayce and Jamie—together with favored ranch hand Rip, battle builders, neighboring Native Individuals and infrequently one another to maintain the household land intact, albeit with murderous penalties.
Dangerous transfer: In season 2, stoic John Dutton ignores physician’s orders to follow-up when a CT scan reveals a mass in his stomach. It seems to be an ulcer, and he collapses within the area when it bursts. The one medical skilled close by—the ranch vet—cuts open his abdomen and cauterizes the artery, saving his life and stabilizing him earlier than a helicopter journey to the hospital. As soon as within the air he mutters that he can’t die: “I’ve a lot to do.”
Skilled recommendation: In case you are within the place handy over the proverbial (and literal) reins to the ranch, outline now the main points of how that’s going to occur. Nobody is assured the following day, so have your succession paperwork in place simply in case that day doesn’t arrive for you. Does that sound darkish? Sure. But it surely’s not as disagreeable as having these unpredictable members of the family jeopardizing the entire ranch as they jockey on your vacated saddle beneath the Montana sky. You must assure the succession plans are in existence—even when it advantages the very individuals who in all probability gave you that ulcer within the first place.
Easy methods to watch: Initially aired 2018 to 2024 on the Paramount Community. Now obtainable to stream on Peacock.
This text initially appeared within the July 2025 subject of SUCCESS+ digital journal. Photograph courtesy of ©Paramount Community.
