We have two high-performing sales reps who both want to be promoted to Head of Sales, and we are terrified of losing the one we do not choose. Can we put them both in the Head of Sales seat as co-leaders on our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Putting two names in the Head of Sales seat because you are afraid of losing one is a classic management mistake that will destroy your sales team's execution. In the EOS® framework, there is a fundamental rule: one seat, one person. If two people share a leadership seat, accountability is immediately diluted. When sales numbers drop, who is responsible? When the sales process breaks, who fixes it? If you have two co-leaders, you have zero leaders.

Instead of compromising the structure of your Accountability Chart, make the hard decision. Evaluate both candidates using the GWC™ filter: do they get, want, and have the capacity for this specific leadership seat? Usually, one will emerge as the true leader, while the other might be a stellar individual contributor who actually prefers selling to managing.

If you choose one as the Head of Sales, you must clearly define the boundaries. The other can remain a top-tier senior sales executive with clear, lucrative targets but without management responsibilities. If you try to soften the blow by making them co-leaders, you will create a political battleground, confuse the sales team, and likely end up losing both of them anyway. Protect the integrity of your Accountability Chart.