We have two highly capable managers who want to share the VP of Operations seat as co-leaders because they have worked together for years. Can we put two names in this one seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The short answer is absolutely not. One seat, two people is a recipe for operational disaster. When two people are accountable for the same seat, nobody is actually accountable. When things go wrong, they will point fingers at each other. Your team will not know who has the final say, leading to double delegation, confusion, and stalled decisions. Buyers looking at your company will see this as a massive risk.

You must have only one name in each seat on your Accountability Chart. If you have two talented people, you have to split the seat. Examine the five key roles of that VP of Operations seat. You will usually find that the seat actually contains two distinct functions.

Perhaps one person is better at logistics and supply chain, while the other excels at service delivery and quality control. Split the seat into two separate, clearly defined seats. One might become the Logistics Director and the other the Service Delivery Director, both reporting to the Integrator. If the seat cannot be split, then one person must get the seat and the other must be moved to a different seat where they GWC™ the roles. You cannot compromise on single point accountability. It is better to have a hard conversation today than to let a shared seat drag down your execution and kill your exit valuation.