One of my key leadership team members has already achieved financial independence through early distributions and is now clearly coasting, waiting for our eventual exit. They are doing the bare minimum to keep their seat but are no longer driving results or setting a good example. How do we address this quiet quitting at the executive level?

A coasting leader is a cancer on your leadership team. When a key executive has checked out because they are already financially secure, they stop pushing their department, fail to hit their Rocks, and drag down the energy of the entire company. Your middle managers and employees will notice this lack of effort immediately and match it.

You must address this lack of engagement directly. Use the core values and the GWC tool to evaluate them. Does this person still want the seat? Wanting the seat means having the genuine passion, drive, and energy to do the job every day. If they are just waiting for an exit, they no longer want it.

Schedule a one-on-one meeting and address the behavior objectively. Show them the metrics on their Scorecard that are slipping and the projects that are stalled. Ask them honestly if they are still committed to the journey.

If they admit they are checked out, work out a transition plan. You cannot afford to have a passive passenger in a leadership seat when you are trying to maximize your exit valuation. Transition them out of the daily operational seat and replace them with a hungry leader who GWCs the role. You can structure a transition package or keep them as an advisor, but you must free up that operational seat immediately.

Category: Leadership Team