MANAGING PREDECESSORS SHADOWS IN EXECUTIVE TRANSITIONS

New leaders inevitably face comparisons with predecessors. After a sho rt time these comparisons usually give way to judgments about the lead er's performance. Occasionally, however, the presence of the predecess or continues to be felt long after the new leader has taken charge. Th e metaphor of a ''shadow'' cast by a predecessor is used to describe t he process whereby memories of a former leader play a dominant role in shaping current behavior in the organization. A case is analyzed in w hich a burdensome shadow impeded a new leader's efforts to take charge of a state agency. Counterprojective group techniques helped the new leader and his staff lift the shadow and form a more productive workin g relationship. (C) 1995 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.