Succession planning at GE involved identifying and developing internal candidates for key leadership roles. GE categorized employees into A, B, and C tiers and closely monitored the top 3,000 executives. The company invested $1 billion in employee development programs that provided training, global exposure, and rotations across business units. This elaborate process helped GE smoothly transition leadership, such as when Jack Welch selected Jeff Immelt as his successor based on Immelt's focus on innovation, cost-cutting, and long-term strategies.