Our warehouse and logistics director has been with us for fifteen years and lives our core values, but he simply does not get the modern enterprise supply chain software and automated logistics we must implement to scale. How do we handle this GWC deficit?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is the most painful personnel issue an owner faces. When a loyal leader embodies every core value but lacks the G component in GWC, you cannot coach or train your way out of it. Getting a seat means having the innate mental wiring, conceptual grasp, and intuitive understanding of what the role requires at your current and future scale.

A leader who built your initial distribution out of a single warehouse often cannot comprehend the algorithmic routing, automated inventory replenishment, and API-driven logistics required across multiple regional facilities. Keeping them in the seat out of sentimentality harms the company, frustrates their direct reports, and places unfair pressure on the individual.

You must address this directly using the Accountability Chart. Schedule a private conversation. Reaffirm their cultural standing and their historic contributions to the company. Then, walk through the five core roles of the Logistics Director seat as defined for your three-year target. Candidly point out where their skills no longer match the structural requirements of the seat.

Determine whether there is another open seat on your chart where they truly have GWC, such as facilities oversight, local fleet management, or specialized customer delivery. If a genuine seat exists, transition them cleanly. If no seat fits, help them exit with deep appreciation, respect, and generous severance. Leaving them in a seat they do not get will eventually ruin their reputation and stall your business.