We are rewriting our Accountability Chart for next year and realized that three of our key leaders no longer GWC™ their seats because the roles have outgrown them. How do we navigate these transitions humanely?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

One of the hardest realizations for an owner is that a loyal, culture-fit leader no longer has the capacity to run their seat as the company scales. They have GWC™ for who they were, but the seat has outgrown them. Navigating this transition requires radical candor and absolute focus on the health of the business.

To handle this transition humanely and keep your momentum, you must first separate the person from the seat. Use your Accountability Chart to design the seat the business needs twelve months from now, without thinking about the current occupant. Once the new, larger seat is defined, evaluate the leader objectively against the new requirements.

If they do not GWC™ the expanded seat, you have two choices.

- First, you can look for a different seat on the Accountability Chart where they can excel and fully GWC™ the role. This is often a specialist role where their deep company knowledge is invaluable but they no longer manage a large team or complex system.
- Second, if there is no suitable seat, you must assist them in transitioning out of the company with dignity and respect.

Keeping someone in a seat they cannot master out of loyalty is actually disloyal to the rest of your team and harmful to the business. By handling these changes with clear, data-driven communication, you preserve your culture while building the leadership team necessary for your next stage of growth.