I find myself constantly making excuses for my original co-founder who now runs HR but clearly does not GWC the seat anymore, and my other high-performing executives are starting to notice the double standard. How do I separate my deep personal loyalty to him from the objective operational needs of the business without causing a toxic split?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Allowing a co-founder to remain in a seat they do not GWC™ because of past loyalty is a quiet killer of organizational momentum. It signals to your entire executive team that personal relationships matter more than performance and core values.

You must separate the past from the present. Use the GWC™ tool with complete objectivity. Does your co-founder truly get, want, and have the capacity to lead the HR department at your current scale? If they are struggling to build modern, scalable systems or manage the team, they do not GWC™ the seat.

Next, have a direct, unsentimental conversation outside of daily operations. Remind them of your shared commitment to the company's long-term health and your exit-ready goals. Explain that keeping them in a seat where they are struggling is hurting both the business and their own reputation.

Look for a way to transition them to a seat they actually GWC™, or help them transition out of operations entirely. Many co-founders are happier moving to a board seat or a specialized advisory role where they can contribute their strategic wisdom without managing day-to-day operations. If no such seat exists, you must make the hard choice to exit them. Protecting one person's comfort at the expense of your leadership team's trust is a bad trade.