We have two long-term directors who are both highly competent, but we need to elevate one of them to a newly created executive seat to streamline our operations. How do we make this selection and handle the inevitable ego issues without losing the person we do not choose?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To make this transition without losing top talent, you must remove emotion and politics from the decision. Use the tools of your Accountability Chart to make an objective, data-driven choice, and communicate the decision with absolute transparency.

Start by defining the new executive seat on the Accountability Chart without thinking about either candidate. Write down the five major roles and the exact accountability required for this seat. Once the seat is clearly defined, run both directors through the GWC™ tool. Be completely honest. Who truly gets the seat? Who wants it more? Who has the intellectual and emotional capacity to lead at this higher level?

Often, you will find that one candidate is better suited for strategic leadership, while the other excels at deep execution. If both truly GWC™ the seat, look at their alignment with your Core Values and their historic ability to hit quarterly Rocks.

Once you make the choice, meet with the person you did not select before you announce it to the wider team. Do not apologize for the decision. Instead, validate their importance to the company. Explain the objective criteria used to make the choice, focusing on how the selected leader's specific strengths align with the strategic requirements of the new seat.

At the same time, outline a clear, compelling career path for the passed-over leader. Show them how their current role is critical to the company's future growth and how they can continue to expand their influence and compensation without sitting in that specific seat. If they are a true culture fit, they will ultimately accept the decision and align with the team.