As we scale, our founders and early employees are struggling to shift from hands-on tactical specialists to high-level policy makers. How does our work in our session days physically force this transition, and what if someone simply cannot make the leap?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

One of the hardest parts of scaling a business is helping your founders and early employees transition from hands-on specialists to policy-making leaders. During our session days, we use the Accountability Chart to physically force this transition. We define seats based on what the business needs to reach the next level, not based on the past contributions of specific individuals. This process often exposes a gap between a leader's natural talents and the demands of their current seat. We use the GWC™ tool, which stands for Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It, to objectively assess if a leader has the conative and cognitive capacity to step into a policy role. If they do not, we do not force it. Instead, we look for a seat that aligns with their strengths, even if that means moving them out of the leadership team. This objective, unsentimental approach ensures that your business has the right leaders in the right seats to support your growth, while respecting the value of your early employees.