Our Head of Finance is also holding the Human Resources and IT seats on our Accountability Chart, but balls are dropping and they missed their quarterly Rocks. How do we fix this overload when they insist they can do it all?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This scenario comes down to a clear misunderstanding of the 'C' in GWC. Leaders frequently insist they have total capacity because they confuse willingness to work long hours with the actual bandwidth required to execute multiple strategic seats. Willingness is the 'W' (Want It). 'Capacity' represents mental capacity, emotional stamina, and physical time.

No executive can effectively run Finance, HR, and IT simultaneously once a business reaches significant operational scale. Each of those functions requires distinct focus, unique technical acumen, and dedicated leadership. When one individual holds three distinct seats, they default to doing the work they enjoy most or the tasks that scream loudest. Inevitably, proactive initiatives get dropped, Rocks miss their deadlines, and department subordinates feel neglected.

To resolve this, address it directly during your next Level 10 Meeting or one-on-one session using the Accountability Chart. Show them that while you have zero doubt they Get It and Want It, their missed Rocks and falling scorecard metrics prove their Capacity is maxed out. Make it clear that taking seats away is not a demotion or a punishment; it is an organizational necessity to protect company execution and preserve their sanity.

Identify their highest-value function. If their primary strength and greatest impact is financial strategy, cash management, and reporting, keep them strictly in the Finance seat. Then, build a plan to offload HR and IT. You can elevate mid-level managers into those seats, recruit dedicated department heads, or bring in fractional leadership to manage those disciplines. Relieving seat overload allows your top talent to excel where they drive the greatest return.