| Course | LDR 309 Leading Through Change (LDR/309) |
|---|---|
| Week | 4 |
| Paper type | Mentorship and succession plan |
| Length | about 1,018 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for LDR 309 Week 4
Teaching the Palate Before the Founder Retires: Mentorship and Succession Planning for a Kentucky Distillery's Master Distiller Role
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
LDR/309: Leading Through Change
Week 4 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Copper Ridge Distilling, its staff and its succession plan are composites written for a model paper.
The founder of Copper Ridge, the invented bourbon maker studied here, is preparing to step back just as the business doubles in size. Walt Hensley, 67, founded the distillery in 2009 after decades at larger distilleries. He designed its mash bills, chose its yeast strain and still decides which barrels go into each release by tasting samples from across the rickhouses. He holds the key relationships with the three family farms that grow the distillery's corn and rye and with its largest distributors. Week 1 found that employees worry about the distillery's character after he leaves, and the board of owners, which includes two outside investors, has asked for a succession plan. This paper reviews research on mentoring and succession and presents a plan.
What Is at Risk
Three kinds of knowledge and authority are at risk. Explicit knowledge, such as recipes, fermentation times and proof targets, is documented. Tacit knowledge, especially tasting judgment, the ability to recognize when a barrel is ready and how to blend for consistency, lives in Walt's experience. Relational capital, the trust of farmers and distributors, depends on personal relationships built over years.
Phases of Mentoring
Kram (1983) studied mentoring relationships among managers and identified four phases. In initiation, the relationship begins and expectations form. During cultivation, the senior partner opens doors, teaches and stretches the junior partner with demanding work, while also offering an example to follow and a sense of being valued. In separation, the junior person gains independence, sometimes with tension. In redefinition, the relationship becomes more peer-like or ends. Understanding these phases helps plan how a mentor relationship will evolve as authority shifts.
Mentoring's Benefits
Allen et al. (2004) conducted a meta-analysis of the career benefits of mentoring for proteges. Mentored employees reported higher compensation, more promotions and greater career satisfaction, job satisfaction and commitment than those who were not mentored. Career-related mentoring was more strongly linked to objective outcomes, while psychosocial mentoring was more strongly linked to satisfaction with the mentor.
What Succession Research Shows
Giambatista et al. (2005) reviewed research on leader succession since 1994 and found that the effects of succession depend on factors such as whether the successor is an insider or outsider, the circumstances of the predecessor's departure, the timing and the organization's performance. They noted that succession is a process unfolding over time, not a single event.
Succession in Owner-Led Firms
Le Breton-Miller et al. (2004) proposed an integrative model of effective succession in family and owner-led businesses. They emphasized starting the process early, establishing ground rules and a shared vision, developing successors through education and varied experience, selecting successors on merit and transferring authority gradually, with the incumbent stepping back in stages. Effective succession also depends on the relationship between the predecessor and successor and on the support of key stakeholders.
The recipe is in a binder; the palate that decides when the bourbon is ready is in one person's head.
Assessing Candidates
Two internal candidates emerged. Maria Ochoa, head distiller, has eight years at Copper Ridge, a chemistry degree and strong production skills, and Walt says she has the best palate on staff. Jordan Pike, warehouse and blending manager, has five years at Copper Ridge, strong relationships with distributors from a previous sales role and growing tasting skills. Each has gaps: Maria has little experience with distributors and farmers, while Jordan has less technical depth.
Year 1: Apprenticeship
Maria and Jordan will join Walt in all barrel selection sessions, tasting the same samples and comparing notes, with Walt explaining his reasoning. Each will visit the partner farms with Walt twice a year and join him in distributor meetings. Walt will record tasting notes and decision reasons in a shared journal, capturing as much tacit knowledge as possible. Monthly mentoring conversations will cover career goals and challenges, providing both career and psychosocial functions.
Year 2: Shared Decisions
Maria will lead barrel selection for two core products, with Walt reviewing and discussing differences. Jordan will take the lead on two distributor relationships and the annual grain contracts, with Walt present. An external sensory training course will strengthen both candidates' skills.
Year 3: Transition
The board will name the next master distiller based on agreed criteria, including tasting accuracy in blind panels, leadership of the production team and partner feedback. The other candidate will take a senior role, such as director of blending and trade relations. Walt will become master distiller emeritus, consulting on special releases and representing the distillery at events, a redefinition phase that preserves his connection.
Telling People About the Plan
Staff will learn of the plan at a year-one gathering where Walt himself explains how the distillery's character will carry on. Farmers and distributors will meet both candidates early.
Supporting the Founder
Succession asks a great deal of Walt. Founders often find it hard to let others make decisions about work they created. The plan gives him a meaningful continuing role and asks the board chair to meet with him quarterly to discuss how the transition feels. Le Breton-Miller et al. (2004) note that the incumbent's willingness to step back is one of the strongest influences on whether succession succeeds, so his experience matters to the plan's success.
Fairness to Both Candidates
Two candidates competing for one role can strain relationships. Both will know the criteria and timeline from the start, both will receive the same access to Walt and both are promised a senior role whatever the outcome.
Contingencies
If Walt leaves earlier than planned for health or other reasons, Maria will serve as interim master distiller, with an outside consultant available for sensory review.
Conclusion
Research shows that mentoring develops careers, that succession is a process whose timing and method matter and that owner-led firms succeed when they start early, develop successors broadly and transfer authority gradually. Copper Ridge's plan protects its founder's tacit knowledge and relationships through apprenticeship, shared decisions and a phased transition, giving the distillery two strong leaders and a founder who remains part of its story.
References
Allen, T. D., Eby, L. T., Poteet, M. L., Lentz, E., & Lima, L. (2004). Career benefits associated with mentoring for proteges: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(1), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.1.127
Giambatista, R. C., Rowe, W. G., & Riaz, S. (2005). Nothing succeeds like succession: A critical review of leader succession literature since 1994. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(6), 963-991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.09.005
Kram, K. E. (1983). Phases of the mentor relationship. Academy of Management Journal, 26(4), 608-625. https://doi.org/10.5465/255910
Le Breton-Miller, I., Miller, D., & Steier, L. P. (2004). Toward an integrative model of effective FOB succession. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 28(4), 305-328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2004.00047.x
What the LDR 309 Week 4 instructions ask
In Week 4, LDR 309 students commonly examine mentorship and succession planning. Assignments may ask students to identify critical roles, assess the readiness of potential successors, design mentoring relationships or programs and develop a succession plan with timelines and development activities. Some prompts focus on knowledge transfer or on family businesses. A strong paper uses research on mentoring and succession, analyzes the specific knowledge and relationships at risk, chooses development methods suited to tacit knowledge, plans the transition of authority and addresses how employees and partners will experience the change. Cite scholarly sources in APA format.
How this LDR 309 Week 4 example is built
Walt Hensley founded Copper Ridge, designed its mash bills and still decides which barrels become each release by taste. Much of what he knows has never been written down. The paper first identifies the critical knowledge: tasting judgment, relationships with grain farmers and distributors and the authority to make final quality calls. Research on mentor relationships describes how they move through initiation, cultivation, separation and redefinition, and a meta-analysis shows that mentored employees report better pay, promotion and career satisfaction. A review of succession research shows that how and when successors are chosen affects performance, and a model of succession in owner-led firms emphasizes early, gradual and planned transitions. A three-year plan names two successors in development and phases the transfer of authority.
LDR 309 Week 4 grading rubric: where the points go
Succession and mentoring papers earn high marks when they identify what is truly at risk, use research to design development and plan the transition carefully. Strong papers distinguish explicit knowledge that can be documented from tacit knowledge that must be learned through experience, design mentoring that fits each, assess candidates fairly and phase the transfer of authority. A comparison of candidates against stated criteria shows fairness, and a backup plan for an early departure shows realism. Graders also look for attention to stakeholders, such as employees, customers and partners, and for measures of readiness. A realistic timeline, named responsibilities and contingency plans for unexpected departures show mature planning and set the paper apart.
LDR 309 Week 4 help: mistakes to avoid
Many succession plans name a successor and stop. Research shows that preparation, timing and how authority transfers matter as much as the choice. Plan the development and the handoff. Another common gap is ignoring tacit knowledge, such as judgment and relationships, which cannot be captured in a manual. Use apprenticeship, shadowing and gradual decision rights. Some papers rely on one candidate, which leaves the organization exposed if that person leaves. Develop more than one. Others forget the departing leader's feelings and role after retirement. Plan that too. Measure readiness with evidence such as blind tasting results rather than impressions. Finally, communicate the plan to employees and partners, since uncertainty about succession can cause turnover and worry.
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LDR 309 Week 4 questions, answered
What does LDR 309 Week 4 usually cover?
It usually covers mentorship and succession planning, including identifying critical roles, developing successors through mentoring and planning the transfer of knowledge and authority.
Where can I find a free LDR 309 Week 4 sample paper?
The Week 4 mentorship and succession plan for the master distiller role at a composite Kentucky distillery is free to read above.
What are the phases of a mentoring relationship?
Research describes initiation, when the relationship begins, cultivation, when learning and support grow, separation, when the protege becomes independent, and redefinition, when the relationship becomes more like one between peers.
Does mentoring help careers?
A meta-analysis found that mentored employees reported more promotions, higher pay and greater career satisfaction and commitment than employees without mentors.
What makes succession planning effective?
Starting early, developing more than one candidate, transferring authority gradually, preserving tacit knowledge and communicating the plan to employees and partners.
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