My son is a key manager who has the operational skills to sit on our leadership team, but his personal entitlement makes it impossible for other leaders to hold him accountable. How do we handle a family member who GWCs their seat but refuses to align with our Core Values?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Operational skill is only half of the equation. In any company, and especially in a family-owned business, every team member must be a complete match for both their seat and your Core Values. If your son GWCs™ his seat but exhibits toxic entitlement, he is actively damaging the trust on your leadership team. This behavior directly violates Our Charter's core pillar of Trust, which requires open, honest, and humble communication.

Your leadership team is watching how you handle this. If you allow your son to get away with behavior that would get any other employee fired, you destroy your leadership team's morale and your own credibility. You must treat him exactly like any other employee.

Use the People Analyzer™ to evaluate him objectively against your Core Values. Schedule a private meeting to mirror his behavior back to him. Be direct, objective, and unemotional. Explain exactly where he is falling short of the team's behavioral standards and outline the specific changes required.

Make it clear that his standing as a family member does not exempt him from accountability. In fact, it means he must hold himself to an even higher standard to earn the respect of his peers. If he refuses to align with the company's Core Values after clear coaching, you must remove him from the leadership team. Protecting the culture of the business is more important than avoiding an awkward Sunday dinner.