Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Edward Ato Sarpong, has warned that organisations and nations risk long-term decline if deliberate steps are not taken to prepare the next generation of leaders.
Addressing participants at the Jospong Leadership Conference 2026, Ato Sarpong said leadership sustainability depends not on ambition or personal success but on intentional mentorship and succession planning.
According to him, leadership should be measured by the quality of people a leader develops rather than the position they occupy.
“Leadership is not in the life you live, but in the legacy you leave,” he stated, urging senior executives to see mentorship as a responsibility, not an option.
Ato Sarpong announced plans to spearhead a free mentorship programme for young professionals under 40, aimed at equipping them with the mindset, discipline and competence required to assume future leadership roles within corporate institutions.
He noted that many organisations struggle because leadership transition is treated as an afterthought, leading to weak governance and institutional instability.
“Our homes, schools, companies and country need leaders. Without them, systems break down,” he said.
Touching on organisational culture, the ADB Managing Director explained that leaders must remain actively involved in developing their teams, arguing that empowerment does not mean withdrawal from responsibility.
He further encouraged young professionals to take ownership of their personal development by cultivating discipline, building competence and overcoming feelings of inferiority that often limit leadership potential.
Edward Ato Sarpong stressed that generational transition is inevitable and warned that failure to prepare younger leaders would leave institutions vulnerable.
“This generation will soon give way. What matters is whether the next generation is ready,” he added.
He called on corporate leaders to invest time, knowledge and resources into building people, noting that strong institutions outlive individuals only when leadership development is deliberate.
