My COO is an incredibly loyal execution machine who has been with me for ten years, but they lack the strategic capability to build the next layer of management. How do I resolve this without firing them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic dilemma of loyalty versus capability. In the EOS framework, we examine this through the lens of Right People, Right Seats.

Your COO may share your core values, making them the right person, but they may no longer GWC, meaning they do not Get, Want, or have the Capacity to do their current job at your current scale. Keeping them in a seat they cannot handle is unfair to them and damaging to the business.

Separate the Person from the Seat

You need to separate the person from the seat on your [Accountability Chart](/qa/how-can-we-use-keith-cunninghams-thinking-time-framework-to-diagnose-whether-our-current-accountability-chart-structure-is-actually-the-primary-bottleneck-preventing-us-from-reaching-our-next-revenue-milestone).

• Have a direct, transparent conversation. Explain that the company has outgrown its current structure and that you need to build a new layer of leadership that requires a different set of strategic capabilities.
• Evaluate their natural strengths. Use tools like the [Kolbe A Index](/qa/kolbe-sales-operations-conflict-handoffs) and DISC. They might be a high Follow Through and Implementer, meaning they excel at execution and maintaining systems, but struggle with strategic abstraction. For example, a [Project Management seat](/qa/quick-start-vs-follow-thru-project-management-seat) might require a strong Follow Through, while a strategic role needs more Quick Start energy.
• Design a new, highly valuable seat based on their conative profile. This new seat should allow them to thrive. For instance, they could lead a specific operational division rather than the entire department. By aligning their actual capability with a seat they can truly own, you preserve their loyalty and protect your business growth.

This approach ensures you are making a "[Right Person, Right Seat](/qa/long-tenured-leader-lacks-capacity-gwc)" decision that benefits both the individual and the organization. It's a way to address a [long-tenured leader who lacks capacity](/qa/gwc-long-tenured-leader-capacity) without resorting to termination.

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