We are trying to hire our first external executive to lead our operations, but we cannot compete with corporate salaries. How do we structure our search and offer to attract a high-caliber leader who can scale with us?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You cannot compete with corporate compensation on base salary alone, so you must change the game. High-caliber leaders who are built for entrepreneurial environments are often burnt out by corporate bureaucracy. They want impact, autonomy, and a clear path to equity or profit sharing. To attract these leaders, you must sell the vision of the company and the opportunity for Entrepreneurial Freedom. Start by defining the seat clearly on your Accountability Chart. Show them exactly how they will own their department and have the autonomy to build their own team. This is a massive selling point for a leader trapped in a corporate environment where every decision requires five layers of approval. Next, share your V/TO® and your long-term plans for a clean exit. Offer a compensation package that aligns their success with the company's growth. This can include a competitive base salary paired with a performance-based bonus tied to weekly Scorecard metrics and long-term phantom stock or equity. Finally, filter for candidates who match your Core Values, such as being Humbly-Confident and possessing a Grow or Die mindset. A candidate who is solely focused on a high corporate base salary does not GWC™ an entrepreneurial seat anyway.