Our Head of Sales is a great core values match, but as we prepare for a major exit, we need a seasoned leader who has scaled sales from ten million to fifty million. Our current manager does not have the capacity or experience to lead this growth, but we want to keep him in a junior sales seat. He feels insulted by the demotion and is threatening to leave. How do we handle this delicate transition?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the hardest Right Person, Wrong Seat decisions an owner has to make. Your Head of Sales has been loyal and matches your core values, but the seat has outgrown him.

You must be direct and honest. Keeping him in a seat where he will eventually fail is not kind, nor is it good for the business. Frame the conversation around the growth of the company and the evolution of the Accountability Chart. Explain that the seat is changing, not your respect for him.

Show him the future Accountability Chart and explain the gap between his current capabilities and what the new seat requires for a successful exit. If he matches your core values, you want to keep him on the team, but he must fit into a seat where he can genuinely GWC™ the roles.

If you offer him a junior sales seat, outline the clear roles and responsibilities. He must understand that reporting to a new, external leader is non-negotiable. He must check his ego at the door and support the new sales leader.

If he cannot accept the change in reporting lines or status, you must let him go. Holding back the growth of your company to appease one person's ego is a disservice to the rest of your employees. If he decides to leave, help him exit with dignity and transition his accounts cleanly. Never compromise the integrity of your Accountability Chart just to avoid a difficult conversation.