My head of operations wants to buy me out, but how can I be sure they actually have the hardwired drive to lead the business as an owner?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting a loyal employee to a leadership or ownership seat without testing their conative fit is a dangerous gamble. Cognition and experience only show what a person knows, but conation reveals how they are hardwired to take action. When preparing an internal successor, you must evaluate their conative profile using tools like the Aptive Index. An owner or top executive needs a specific drive to solve complex, unstructured problems. If your head of operations is a high Follow Thru but has low conative drive for initiating change, they might struggle in the Visionary or Integrator seats. They might excel at managing existing processes but freeze when strategic pivots are required. Use the EOS® tool GWC™ to evaluate them honestly. Do they truly want the pressure of ownership? Do they have the capacity to handle the emotional and financial strain? By assessing their hardwired approach to risk and structure, you can determine if they are suited for succession or if they are best kept in an operational role while you look for an external buyer.