Selecting a new chief executive is critical because so much rides on a positive outcome.  Is this the right person to lead the company in this particular business, at this particular time?  Will he or she collaborate with the board, or fight it?  Is there a process in place for cultivating, identifying, and appointing not just this CEO, but the one after that?  From directors, executives, and specialists whom we have witnessed, worked with, and interviewed, and from our own search and consulting experience, we draw ten principles for executives and directors to guide the executive-succession process.