Our Head of Operations helped build the company from scratch, but our growth has outpaced her skills and she no longer has the capacity to lead the seat. How do we transition her to an individual contributor seat on the Accountability Chart without losing her?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Moving a long-standing leader out of a leadership seat is emotionally difficult, but leaving someone in a seat they cannot execute damages the entire company and is unfair to the employee. They know they are struggling, and the stress is likely burning them out.

Start by viewing this through the lens of Right Person, Right Seat. Because this person has been with you for years and embodies your culture, they are a Right Person. However, because the business has scaled, they no longer have the GWC (specifically the Capacity) for a senior leadership seat.

Address this issue directly and privately. Do not blindside them in a leadership meeting. Sit down one on one and walk through the Accountability Chart for where the business is heading. Show the expanded scope and five core roles of the Head of Operations seat. Acknowledge their incredible contributions and explain openly that the demands of the seat have outgrown what one person can manage at this level of execution.

Present a clear, dignified alternative. Identify a specialized, high-impact individual contributor seat on the chart that matches their unique talents, such as Major Project Manager, Process Specialist, or Key Account Lead.

Be transparent about reporting relationships, title adjustments, and compensation changes. Give them time to process the shift. Some leaders accept the change with immense relief because the management burden is lifted. Others may decide their ego cannot handle reporting to a new leader. You must be prepared for either outcome, but you cannot compromise the seat.