We are planning to exit in three years, but half of my leadership team is nearing retirement age and wants to coast, while the other half wants to build a high-growth asset. How do we align these conflicting personal horizons on the leadership team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leadership team members have conflicting personal timelines, it paralyzes strategic execution. To build an exit-ready business, every leader must be pulling in the exact same direction. Coasting is not an option when you are preparing for a transaction.

You must have a transparent, face-to-face alignment meeting. Use the V/TO® to clarify the three-year picture and the exact valuation target required for a clean exit. Be explicit about the operational speed and effort needed to achieve this goal.

For the leaders nearing retirement, ask them directly if they have the desire and capacity to run hard for the next thirty-six months. They must understand that preparing for an exit requires intense focus, process documentation, and operational scaling, not coasting.

If a retiring leader admits they do not have the energy for this final push, that is acceptable. You must then transition them out of their leadership seat and into a supporting role, or bring in a successor early.

Use your exit planning strategy to incentivize the team. Create a success bonus or phantom stock plan that rewards them when the company sells. This aligns everyone's financial interests, turning the transition into a shared victory rather than a source of internal division.