As our business scales, we realize our current leadership team members are outgrowing their seats on the Accountability Chart, and we need to bring in outside talent. How do we handle this restructure without destroying team morale or causing key leaders to leave?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Restructuring the Accountability Chart as you scale is one of the most painful but necessary stages of business growth. When a company hits a ceiling, it is usually because the complexity of the business has outgrown the capacity of the current team. To break through, you must separate the seats from the people and focus entirely on what the organization needs to reach its next milestone.

Start by looking at the Accountability Chart without any names attached. Define the critical seats and the five core responsibilities for each seat based on where the business is going, not where it has been. Once the structure is clear, use the GWC™ tool to evaluate your current leaders against these new seats. Do they truly Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do the job at this new scale?

If a long term leader does not GWC™ their evolving seat, you must have an honest, compassionate conversation. It does not mean they are a bad employee; it simply means the seat has grown larger than their current capacity. Look for other areas in the business where their skills and alignment with your Core Values can shine. If you must bring in outside talent to lead, communicate the change clearly, focusing on how the transition protects the health of the entire company.