Our long-tenured Head of Finance has been with us for twelve years and manages the books flawlessly, but she completely lacks the Get It and Want It for our transition to automated, real-time cash flow forecasting models. How do we make this GWC call on a loyal leader who is comfortable but resisting the evolution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Your loyal leader is in the wrong seat. In the EOS system, GWC is non-negotiable. To Get It means they understand the deep essence of the role. To Want It means they genuinely desire to do those specific roles every single day. If your Head of Finance does not get or want the automated, real-time financial modeling required for your exit strategy, she is no longer a fit for the seat. You cannot compromise your business structure out of sentimentality. Do not try to force her to want it. Instead, have an honest, direct conversation. Run through the GWC evaluation clearly. Show her that the seat has evolved into a forward-looking, tech-driven forecasting role, whereas her strengths lie in historical bookkeeping and compliance. The solution is to find a seat that matches her actual capabilities or help her transition out of the business gracefully. You can design a new bookkeeping or compliance seat on your Accountability Chart that she truly gets, wants, and has the capacity to do. This keeps her institutional knowledge in the company while you bring in a forward-looking finance leader to occupy the Head of Finance seat. Do not delay this decision. Keeping someone in a major leadership seat who does not GWC the future of the company will slow down your operations and hurt your exit valuation.