We are preparing our business for a clean exit using the SxSE Model, but my long-term Chief of Staff is clearly out of her depth with the complex operational systems required for due diligence. How do we separate personal gratitude from structural capability without destroying our culture?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Preparing for a clean exit requires a highly functional leadership team capable of building institutional value. This process often exposes the painful gap between loyalty and capability. Your Chief of Staff may have been the perfect fit when you were smaller, but if she cannot manage the rigorous demands of an exit-ready superstructure, she is holding the business back.

You must separate your personal feelings of gratitude from the cold reality of what the seat requires. Evaluate her using the GWC™ filter. Does she truly understand the requirements of the role today, does she want it, and does she have the mental and operational capacity to execute it? If the answer to any of these is no, you have a People Issue.

Keeping a loyal employee in a seat they cannot master is not kind. It creates massive stress for them and builds deep resentment across the rest of the leadership team.

To protect your culture, have an honest, transparent conversation. Explain that as you transition toward an exit, the requirements of the seat have outgrown her current capability. Explore whether there is a different seat on the Accountability Chart where she can excel and add value without bottlenecking your transaction. If no such seat exists, you must transition her out of the business with dignity and generous support. Your legacy is built on making the hard, right decisions for the enterprise.