How do we integrate individual natural talents and StrengthsFinder profiles into our Accountability Chart work so we do not end up putting people in seats they hate?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A common mistake in business is putting high performers into leadership roles where they ultimately fail because the seat does not align with their natural talents. During our work together, we use the GWC™ tool, which stands for Get It, Want It, and Capacity to Do It, as our primary filter for the [Accountability Chart](/qa/resolving-accountability-chart-seat-overlaps).

To make the GWC tool even more effective, we can layer in individual strengths assessments, such as StrengthsFinder profiles or even [Kolbe Indexes](/qa/analyze-kolbe-indexes-with-ai-project-teams).

When we define the five roles for each seat on your Accountability Chart, we look at the cognitive and behavioral demands of those roles.

• If a seat requires deep strategic planning and conceptual breakthroughs, we need someone whose natural talents lean toward high-level vision and abstract thinking.
• If a seat requires relentless operational execution, we need someone who thrives on concrete details and structured environments.

By understanding the natural talents of your team members, we can ensure they are sitting in the [right seats](/qa/how-to-delegate-four-seats-using-kolbe). We do not try to fix weaknesses or force individuals to develop skills that contradict their natural wiring. Instead, we design seats that leverage their existing strengths. This alignment ensures your leaders are highly energized by their work, leading to higher performance and reducing the friction that occurs when people are miscast, preventing scenarios like a [promoted employee burning out due to conative stress](/qa/promoted-employee-burnout-conative-stress).

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