We have a leadership team member who perfectly embodies our core values and is loved by the staff, but they simply do not GWC their seat on our newly restructured Accountability Chart. How do we handle a high-value culture champion who is in the wrong seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is a painful dilemma when a leadership team member perfectly aligns with your core values and has the respect of the entire staff, but simply cannot deliver the results required by their seat. This person is a culture champion, but they are in the wrong seat because they lack the GWC, meaning they do not get, want, or have the capacity to do the job.

You cannot ignore this issue. Keeping a culture champion in a seat they cannot handle damages operational performance and frustrates the high-performing employees who report to them. Over time, this unresolved gap will erode the very culture you are trying to protect.

To handle this, start with an open, honest conversation using your Accountability Chart. Walk through the roles and responsibilities of the seat and show them objectively where the gaps lie. Because they share your core values, they will likely recognize the issue themselves and feel the stress of underperforming.

Your goal is to retain their cultural value while protecting your operational capacity. Look across your Accountability Chart to see if there is another seat where they can excel and truly GWC the roles. If a suitable seat exists, transition them carefully. If no such seat is available, you must help them transition out of the business, preserving the relationship and the culture by handling the exit with absolute clarity, respect, and support.