We are recruiting a high-performing industry executive who can help us double our revenue before our exit. He is demanding a customized title and a highly specific blend of responsibilities that spans across Sales, Product, and Strategy. Should we rewrite our Accountability Chart to accommodate this superstar candidate, or must we force him to fit into our existing structure?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Never design your Accountability Chart around a candidate, no matter how much of a superstar they appear to be. When you bend your organizational structure to accommodate a specific person's ego or unique skill set, you create structural weaknesses that will eventually fracture.

First, you must design your Accountability Chart based on the strategic needs of the business to scale and achieve a clean exit. Every seat must have a clear, logical, and non-overlapping set of responsibilities.

Once you have defined the right seats, you must evaluate the candidate against the specific seat you need to fill using the GWC tool. Does he truly get, want, and have the capacity to do the job as defined by the business?

If he wants to cherry-pick responsibilities from Sales, Product, and Strategy, he will create massive confusion for the existing leaders of those departments. You will end up with overlapping accountability, turf wars, and dropped balls.

If a candidate refuses to fit into a clearly defined, logical seat on your chart, they are a wrong-seat risk. No matter how impressive their resume is, hiring them will cause operational friction that slows you down. Stick to your structure, protect your Accountability Chart, and hire leaders who are willing to own a single, clear seat and be held accountable to its specific measurables.