Our Head of Marketing was our fifth hire and has a stellar work ethic, but as we scale, he cannot seem to grasp modern ROI-driven attribution models. He wants the seat and works hard, but how do we handle a 'Get It' issue with a loyal leader?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is one of the hardest calls a business owner has to make. Your Head of Marketing has deep loyalty, loves the culture, and wants the seat. He has the Want It and the Capacity to work long hours, but he lacks the Get It for the modernized analytical requirements of the role. Using the GWC™ tool, Get It means a person has a natural, neurological ability to understand the role. It is not about effort or tenure. If your marketing strategy now requires complex digital attribution and data modeling to prepare the business for an exit, and his brain simply does not think that way, he does not get it. You cannot train someone to get it. You can teach skills, but you cannot install the natural wiring required for a highly technical or strategic role. Keeping him in a seat he does not get is unfair to him and dangerous for your business. He will constantly struggle, and your marketing ROI will suffer. The solution is to separate the person from the seat. Use your Accountability Chart to design the ideal Head of Marketing seat for your future organization, regardless of who currently sits in it. Once that seat is defined, evaluate him honestly. If he fails Get It, you must move him out of that seat. Because he is a great culture fit, look for another seat on the chart where he truly gets, wants, and has the capacity to do the work, perhaps a creative or brand management role. If no such seat exists, you must make the hard choice to let him go so you can fill the leadership seat with someone who GWC™'s it.