Our Vice President of Sales was a superstar when we were a five-million-dollar company, but as we scale toward twenty million, they are clearly drowning in the complexity of managing a larger, multi-tiered team. How do we objectively determine if they can scale with us or if we need to find a replacement?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To make an objective decision, you must separate the person from the seat and remove emotional bias. Start by looking at your Accountability Chart, not the person. Define the exact roles and responsibilities required for the twenty-million-dollar version of the Vice President of Sales seat. This is the future-state structure your business needs to prepare for a clean exit.

Once the seat is clearly defined, evaluate the incumbent using the GWC™ tool. Ask three simple questions: Do they get it? Do they want it? Do they have the capacity to do it?

Getting it means they truly understand the strategic and cultural essence of the seat. Wanting it means they are intrinsically motivated to do the actual job, not just collect the executive title. Capacity is where most scaling leaders fail. Capacity includes the intellectual, emotional, physical, and time-management capability to run a larger operation.

If they lack the capacity to scale, you must face reality. They have hit their personal ceiling. Keeping them in a seat they cannot handle is a disservice to both them and the company.

Your next step is to apply the Grow or Die core value. Have an honest conversation. Mirror back the reality of their performance and the demands of the seat. If they do not GWC™ the seat, you must transition them. You can either find a different seat on the Accountability Chart where they do GWC™ and can thrive, or help them make a clean transition out of the organization.