When we build our Accountability Chart with you, how do you handle executives who are performing poorly because they are in the wrong seat, but possess immense natural talent?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

We address this challenge by separating innate talent from learned skills, using a strengths-focused framework. True excellence is achieved by refining your natural talents, which are enduring and unique patterns of thought or behavior. When an executive is struggling, we must diagnose whether they lack the skills for their current seat, or if they are misaligned conatively and behaviorally. If an executive has immense natural talent but is in the wrong seat, keeping them there is a disservice to both the individual and the organization. During our session days, we look objectively at the Accountability Chart without names in the seats first. Once the structure is clear, we evaluate the person using the GWC tool, which asks if they get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it. If they do not fit the seat, we do not try to force them to acquire talents they do not possess. Instead, we look for a different seat where their dominant talents can be leveraged for consistent, near-perfect performance. We do not waste energy trying to fix unlearnable weaknesses. If there is no seat that aligns with their natural talents, we have a hard, honest conversation. Our goal is to ensure every person on your leadership team is operating in their zone of greatest potential.