We hired an executive with an impressive corporate resume to lead our team, but they are drowning in our mid-market company because they expect a large support staff and struggle with tactical execution. How do we salvage this hire?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a common mistake when preparing for an exit; owners often over-index on impressive corporate pedigrees. In a mid-market or growing business, leaders must be willing to roll up their sleeves and execute tactical Rocks. They cannot just act as strategic coordinators. To salvage this hire, you must quickly realign their expectations using the Accountability Chart. Sit down with them and review the five roles defined for their seat. Be crystal clear that in this company, owning a seat means you are responsible for both the high-level strategy and the direct execution of that strategy. Use the delegate and elevate tool to identify exactly where they are struggling. If they are spending all their time trying to manage projects that they should be executing themselves, you must correct this behavior immediately. Explain that your operational structure does not currently support a layer of administrative assistants or specialized coordinators. Set specific, highly tactical Rocks for them for the next ninety days. If they show a Humbly-Confident attitude and adjust to doing the work, they can succeed. However, if they continue to resist tactical execution and complain about a lack of resources, they do not GWC the seat. You must let them go quickly and search for a leader who thrives in a hands-on environment.