Our two co-founders both want to sit in the Marketing and Creative Strategy seat because they are both highly artistic and have always shared the responsibility. Our EOS metrics are slipping because of double-headed leadership. How do we transition this shared seat to a single owner without causing one of them to disengage?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Two people in one seat means zero accountability. When two people share a role, decision-making slows to a crawl, the team gets conflicting directions, and eventually, ball dropping occurs because each owner assumes the other is handling it. To scale and prepare for a clean exit, you must have one name, and only one name, in every seat on your Accountability Chart.

Sit down with both co-founders and review Our Charter. You must agree that for the health of the organization, we need clear, single-point accountability.

Look at the actual roles and responsibilities of the marketing seat. Break them down. Is one co-founder better at the strategic, data-driven side of marketing, while the other excels at high-level creative vision?

You might find that you actually need two separate seats: a Head of Marketing who owns the metrics, budget, and campaign execution, and a Creative Director specialist seat. Or, one co-founder may need to step out of marketing entirely and move to a different seat where their unique abilities are desperately needed, such as product development or strategic partnerships.

Use the IDS® process to resolve the overlap. One person must be designated as the sole leader accountable for the marketing seat scorecard numbers and Rocks. The other must agree to step out and support the new structure with love and respect. This clarity is vital for prospective buyers who want to see a clean, functional leadership team.