We are preparing the business for a future exit, and my leadership team insists they are ready to run a much larger company, but I see clear gaps in their capabilities. How do we objectively evaluate if our current leadership team actually GWC their seats for the next stage of growth?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To prepare your business for a clean exit, you need a leadership team that can run a much larger, more systematized enterprise. While your current leaders may be loyal and hard-working, they might not possess the skills required for the next level. You must evaluate them objectively using the GWC™ tool, without letting personal relationships cloud your judgment.

Start by projecting your Accountability Chart three years into the future. Define the major functions and the five core responsibilities for each seat at that larger scale. The operations seat for a ten million dollar company looks very different from the operations seat for a thirty million dollar company.

Once the future seats are defined, evaluate each leader against them. Ask the three GWC™ questions:

- Do they truly Get the complexity and strategic requirements of this future seat?

- Do they Want to do the work required at this next level of growth?

- Do they have the physical, mental, and emotional Capacity to execute this role?

Capacity is where most legacy leaders fail. They may get it and want it, but they lack the strategic capability or experience to run a larger, automated operation.

Be honest about your findings. Share the future Accountability Chart with your team and discuss where they have gaps. If a leader lacks the capacity, you must decide whether to invest in intensive training or recruit an experienced executive to fill the seat, allowing your legacy leader to step into a more suitable role.