Reputation transfer to a successor makes the outgoing boss most vulnerable

Evidence

There comes a point at which, even in cases of planned succession, the balance of reputation begins to tile in favor of the appointed successor; at that point, which is difficult to predict with precision, the old boss is in a position of greatest risk. — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 829

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Schelling’s commitment/credible-threat frameworks — the outgoing boss’s power rests precisely on his reputation, so its transfer strips his protection. Also resonates with succession dilemmas seen in the Greene family narrative.