I have a loyal, long-term manager who wants to buy me out, but I am worried they do not have what it takes to actually lead. How do I objectively assess if they can handle the top seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Loyalty is not a qualification for leadership. To objectively assess if your manager can step into your shoes, you must look beyond personality and evaluate their conative drive. Conation measures how a person naturally takes action and solves problems when free to do so. Use a conative assessment tool like the Aptive Index to measure their hardwired drives. You need to know their natural pace and approach to tasks. Do they have an innate tendency toward structure and process, or do they thrive in the chaotic flexibility required of an entrepreneurial leader? If the top seat requires a high drive for initiating change, but your manager's conative profile shows they need high structure and precision, they will struggle and burn out under the pressure. Compare their profile to the requirements of the seat on your Accountability Chart. They must GWC™ the role. They must truly Get It, which is cognitive, Want It, which is affective, and have the Capacity to do it, which is conative. If their conative style is to maintain and refine rather than disrupt and build, they may make a phenomenal Integrator but a terrible CEO or Visionary. Assessing this upfront prevents a catastrophic failure after you transition.