Our founding head of customer success has full Capacity and clearly Gets It, but after eight years of grinding, she has lost her passion and openly admits she no longer Wants the seat. How do we handle a beloved leader who fails the Want It test without burning the relationship?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an owner faces a long-tenured leader who lacks Want It, the temptation is to talk them into staying or ignore the confession because they are loyal and capable. That is a mistake. In the EOS® framework, GWC™ requires all three: Get It, Want It, and Capacity to do it. A leader who no longer wants the seat will eventually burn out, become passive-aggressive, or hold back the entire department.

First, acknowledge and respect their honesty. It takes courage for a long-tenured employee to admit they no longer want the pressure of leading a critical function. Do not try to re-energize them with a bonus or more autonomy. Want It comes from an internal motor; when that motor stops, no external incentive will restart it.

Second, look at the Accountability Chart without names. Determine what the Customer Success seat requires for the next twelve to thirty-six months. Then, look at the individual. Is there a different, specialized seat where they have complete GWC™? For example, an individual contributor role managing select legacy enterprise accounts, process design, or customer onboarding training? If a legitimate seat exists that the company genuinely needs, you can discuss a planned seat transition.

If no such seat exists, you must organize a graceful, planned exit. Build a sixty to ninety day transition plan to hire and onboard a successor. Because the relationship is strong, you can handle this collaboratively. Keep your standards high and preserve the relationship by being clear, decisive, and appreciative.