Our leadership team just mapped a structure-first Accountability Chart for our next growth phase, and one of our long-tenured executives has no seat in the new structure. How do we handle a dedicated leader whose seat was engineered out of the business?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Structure first means designing the exact seats needed to execute your V/TO® over the next six to twelve months, completely blind to the people currently in the company. When you do this correctly, legacy positions often disappear. You cannot compromise this process by inventing a cosmetic seat or creating an unnecessary VP role just to keep a loyal veteran comfortable. Doing so introduces confusion, dilutes accountability, and burdens the business with unearned payroll.

Start by evaluating the newly defined seats on your chart. Does this executive possess the core values of the business, and do they have GWC™: do they get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it for any of the open seats? If there is an open seat that matches their skillset and drive, initiate an honest discussion about transitioning them into that role. They must understand that the seat comes with specific measurable outcomes, not a grandfathered set of legacy perks.

If they do not fit any legitimate seat on the new chart, you must confront reality: their capabilities fit the company you were, not the company you are building. Do not keep them in a hollow advisory capacity. Have a courageous, transparent conversation. Acknowledge their past contributions, provide a dignified transition with a fair severance, and let them leave with their reputation intact. Compromising your structure to protect an individual hurts the remaining team and destroys enterprise value.