We are preparing to make our first outside executive hire to lead our operations, but we have only ever promoted from within. How do we structure the seat on our Accountability Chart and interview for GWC so we do not get sold by an impressive corporate resume?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Small and growing companies frequently get seduced by big corporate resumes. You interview someone who managed a massive department at an enterprise firm, assuming their background will elevate your business. Six months later, you realize they only knew how to navigate an existing bureaucracy with hundreds of support staff, and they cannot build systems from scratch in an entrepreneurial environment.

Before writing a job description or interviewing candidates, design the seat on your Accountability Chart in absolute isolation from any candidate. Define the exact five major roles that this leader must own. Detail the operational outcomes, metrics on the Scorecard, and quarterly Rocks they will be accountable for during their first twelve months.

When interviewing, evaluate for GWC: do they Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it?
- Getting it means they naturally understand how your industry, operational pace, and entrepreneurial stage function. Ask behavioral questions about how they solved problems without budget or infrastructure.
- Wanting it means they possess a genuine internal hunger to do the heavy lifting themselves, not just delegate to subordinates. Ask what tasks they personally performed in their last role versus what their team did.
- Capacity means they have the emotional, mental, and technical horsepower to execute at your current stage and scale with you over the next three years.

Check references deeply. Ask former peers whether the candidate built processes with their own hands or merely maintained existing corporate structures.