As we have grown, our leadership team has expanded to nine people because I did not want to make anyone feel left out, but now our Level 10 Meetings are inefficient and we cannot get anything done. How do we restructure the team and trim the seats without causing a mutiny?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

As companies grow, founders often let the leadership team expand to eight, nine, or ten people out of a desire to make everyone feel included or valued. This is a mistake. A leadership team larger than seven people becomes a bottleneck. Debates drag on, decisions stall, and your weekly Level 10 Meetings™ become inefficient reporting sessions rather than active problem-solving blocks.

To fix this, you must ruthlessly restructure your Accountability Chart based on what the business actually needs, not on personal feelings or tenure. A healthy leadership team typically has between three and seven seats. Look at your structure and consolidate functions. For example, marketing, sales, and account management might report up through a single seat on the leadership team.

When you roll out the new structure, expect pushback. People will feel demoted. Address this head-on with direct, honest communication. Explain that a leaner team is necessary for the business to make fast, effective decisions as you scale and prepare for an exit. Clarify that their value to the company is not determined by whether they sit on the leadership team. You can still value their expertise and invite them to contribute to specific strategic initiatives without having them in every leadership meeting. Focus on the health of the organization first.