Our Head of Product is brilliant at designing software and meets all his KPIs, but during his quarterly reviews, he admits he hates managing the engineering team and doing one-on-ones. He passes the Get It and Capacity parts of GWC but fails the Want It for the leadership aspects of his seat. Do we keep him there because he is irreplaceable, or do we restructure?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You cannot compromise on GWC™. All three filters must be a resounding yes. If your Head of Product does not want the leadership and management aspects of his seat, he is in the wrong seat. Keeping him there will eventually destroy the morale of the engineering team and lead to operational dysfunction.

In the EOS® framework, leadership seats require leading, managing, and holding people accountable (LMA). If a leader admits they hate doing one-on-ones or managing people, they do not Want It. No amount of industry expertise or technical brilliance can overcome a Want It failure.

The solution is to restructure your Accountability Chart. Do not fire him, as he is a brilliant product designer and likely a great culture fit. Instead, design a new individual contributor seat, such as Principal Architect or Chief Product Fellow, that allows him to focus entirely on product design without any direct reports.

Then, create a separate Engineering Manager seat dedicated to LMA and running the department. This keeps your brilliant product designer doing what he loves while ensuring the team gets the leadership they deserve. Make this structural change during your next quarterly planning session.