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 look at this through the lens of Right People, Right Seats. Your COO may share your core values, making them the right person, but they no longer GWC, which means 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. You need to separate the person from the seat on your Accountability Chart. Have a direct, transparent conversation. Explain that the company has outgrown the 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 using tools like the Kolbe A Index and DISC. They might be a high Follow Through and Implementer, meaning they excel at execution and maintaining systems, but struggle with strategic abstraction. Based on their conative profile, design a new, highly valuable seat where they can thrive, such as leading 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.