We have a leadership team member who does not seem to GWC the seat, but they have high individual talent. How do we use strengths-based evaluation to resolve this during our sessions?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a highly talented executive is struggling to hit their numbers, we must look at their performance through a strengths-based lens during our quarterly sessions. Drawing from the principles of Marcus Buckingham, we distinguish between innate talents and acquired skills. True excellence comes from refining innate talents, not trying to fix fundamental weaknesses. During our session days, we run the GWC™ process to evaluate if the leader truly gets, wants, and has the capacity to do their job. If they do not GWC™ their current seat, we do not simply write them off. Instead, we analyze their signature strengths to see if they are simply sitting in the wrong seat on the Accountability Chart. They may have incredible analytical talents but are currently forced into a highly relational role. However, if we realign their seat and they still cannot deliver on their core metrics, we must make the hard, unsentimental choice. Talent is enduring, and we cannot force a behavioral change. Resolving this misalignment ensures your leadership team remains strong, accountable, and aligned with your core values.