Our long tenured Head of Sales has been with us since our garage days and is a fantastic culture fit, but as we scale toward a potential exit, he fails the GWC check for the modernized, data driven sales seat we now require. How do we make this Right Seat call without destroying morale or losing a loyal employee who holds valuable tribal knowledge?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic Right Person, Wrong Seat scenario. When a loyal leader hits their ceiling, keeping them in a seat they cannot execute damages the company and sets them up to fail. Your first step is to separate the person from the seat. Map out the ideal Head of Sales seat on your Accountability Chart based on what the business needs to scale and prepare for an exit. When you run the GWC check, be honest. If they do not Get it, Want it, or have the Capacity for this modernized, data driven seat, they cannot stay in it. To protect morale and retain their valuable tribal knowledge, look for a different seat where they do GWC the roles. For instance, they might be an incredible individual contributor in a Key Accounts or Business Development seat. Present this transition as a strategic realignment. Explain that the company needs a different skillset to run the department at this scale, but you value their tribal knowledge and core values alignment. If no such seat exists or they refuse the move, you must exit them gracefully. Keeping someone in a seat they cannot fulfill is unfair to them and your business.