I have a loyal employee who started as my assistant and now holds a leadership title, but they lack the strategic capacity to contribute at the executive level. How do we handle this legacy title inflation on our leadership team?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Legacy title inflation is a common trap for growing companies. In the early days, you handed out big titles like vice president or chief of staff to reward loyalty. But as the business scales, the demands of those leadership seats outgrow the capabilities of the people holding them. To fix this, you must separate loyalty from organizational structure. Start by looking at your Accountability Chart and defining the true roles of that executive seat. What does a real vice president actually do? Next, run your loyal employee through the GWC tool for that seat. While they certainly have the heart and the loyalty, they likely lack the capacity to think strategically, manage a budget, or lead a large department. Have an honest, respectful conversation with them. Explain that the company has reached a size where the seat requires executive-level capabilities they do not currently possess. Redesign their seat on the Accountability Chart to match their actual strengths, such as an administrative or operational support role, and adjust their title accordingly. They will likely feel a sense of relief once they are out of a seat they were struggling to fill. By aligning their title and role with their actual capabilities, you preserve their dignity, protect your culture, and ensure your leadership team consists only of true strategic executives.