One of the hardest parts of leadership is deciding whether someone is the right person for a seat.
As leaders running on EOS, we spend a lot of time asking whether someone Gets it, Wants it, and has the Capacity to do it (GWC). We use those conversations when hiring, promoting, coaching, reorganizing, and sometimes making difficult people decisions.
But before we ask that question about anyone else, there is a more important question.
Do I GWC my own seat?
That is a much harder conversation.
It is also one of the healthiest conversations a leader can have.
This idea comes directly from the EOS framework introduced in Traction by Gino Wickman and expanded through the teachings of EOS Worldwide. If you want to understand GWC deeply, I highly recommend studying those resources. My goal here isn't to replace them. Instead, I want to offer a practical Clarity Break exercise that you can revisit every quarter as your business and your role evolve.
GWC Isn't Permanent
One of the biggest misconceptions about GWC is that it is a one-time decision.
It isn't.
It is a point-in-time assessment.
People change.
Businesses change.
Markets change.
Seats change.
As organizations grow, the demands of a seat grow right along with them.
The role that fit you perfectly when your company had 15 employees may require an entirely different set of skills when you have 30, 75, or 150.
Likewise, you change.
You develop new skills.
Your interests evolve.
Your family circumstances change.
What energized you five years ago may no longer be what you want to spend your days doing.
That is why I encourage leaders to revisit GWC every quarter.
Not because we expect people to fail.
Because we expect people and businesses to grow.
Healthy organizations don't assume yesterday's fit is still today's fit.
They intentionally check.
It Starts at the Top
One of my favorite moments when working with a new leadership team happens during our first full day together.
One of the first tools we build is the Accountability Chart.
Before we talk about people, we talk about structure.
What are the major functions of the business?
What seats are required to run those functions well?
What are the handful of roles that define success in each seat?
Only after the seats are crystal clear do we begin discussing the people.
One by one, the leadership team asks a simple but powerful question.
Does this person GWC this seat?
Do they Get it?
Do they Want it?
Do they have the Capacity to do it?
Sometimes every answer is yes.
More often, we uncover gaps.
Someone may understand the work but no longer enjoy it.
Someone else may desperately want the role but not yet have the experience or capacity.
Sometimes the business has simply outgrown someone's current abilities.
We don't ignore those gaps.
We put them on the Issues List.
Later that day, and throughout our work together, the team begins solving those issues. Sometimes that means coaching. Sometimes training. Sometimes changing responsibilities. Sometimes redesigning the organization. Sometimes it means making difficult people decisions. Frequently, those issues become Rocks for the next quarter. Others remain on the Issues List until the leadership team decides the timing is right to solve them.
It isn't always comfortable.
But it gets the issues out into the light of day where they can be understood, discussed, and solved.
It is incredibly effective.
More importantly, it establishes an important cultural principle.
No one is exempt from GWC.
Not the newest employee.
Not the department manager.
Not the Integrator.
Not the Visionary.
Everyone is expected to GWC their seat.
If we expect that level of honesty from our leadership teams, we should expect it from ourselves as well.
So when was the last time you honestly evaluated whether you GWC your own seats?
If it has been a while, or you're feeling the need for greater clarity, I encourage you to use your next Clarity Break to work through the following exercise.
Step 1: Identify Every Seat You Occupy
Many entrepreneurial leaders don't have just one seat.
They have several.
You may be serving as Visionary, Integrator, and Head of Sales.
You may own multiple companies.
You may also serve on a board or lead a nonprofit organization.
List every seat you currently occupy.
Then evaluate each one independently.
Reflection Questions
- What seats do I currently occupy?
- Have I taken on any new seats since last quarter?
- Am I still sitting in seats I should have delegated by now?
Step 2: Define What Success Looks Like
You can't determine whether you GWC a seat if the seat isn't clearly defined.
For every seat, ask yourself:
- What am I ultimately accountable for?
- What are my major roles and responsibilities?
- What decisions belong to me?
- What results am I expected to produce?
- How will success be measured?
Many leaders discover they aren't actually clear about what success looks like in their own role.
Clarity comes before accountability.
Reflection Questions
- Could I clearly explain this seat to someone else?
- Are my responsibilities well-defined or have they become blurry over time?
- What would success in this seat look like over the next 90 days?
Step 3: Honestly Evaluate Your GWC
Do I Get It?
Getting it isn't about intelligence.
It means your natural wiring aligns with what the seat requires.
You instinctively understand the work.
The decisions make sense.
The problems are energizing rather than confusing.
Signs the answer might be No:
- You constantly feel like you're forcing yourself.
- You repeatedly make the same mistakes.
- Other people naturally see things you consistently miss.
- You require constant coaching on the fundamentals.
- Success only comes through extraordinary effort.
Examples:
A highly visionary entrepreneur trying to manage detailed accounting.
An incredible technician promoted into leadership.
A relationship builder expected to become a systems architect.
Could they learn?
Absolutely.
But the seat may never align with how they're naturally wired.
Reflection Questions
- Where do I naturally excel in this seat?
- Where do I consistently struggle?
- If I were hiring someone for this seat today, would I honestly hire myself?
Do I Want It?
Wanting it isn't about liking the title.
It means you genuinely want everything that comes with the seat.
Including the difficult parts.
You want the responsibilities.
You want the accountability.
You want to continue growing.
Signs the answer might be No:
- You procrastinate the work.
- You constantly delegate responsibilities that actually belong to you.
- You dread the work associated with this seat.
- You secretly hope someone else will take it over.
- You only enjoy a small fraction of what the seat requires.
Examples:
A founder who loves inventing but hates managing people.
A salesperson who loves closing deals but hates coaching others.
An owner who enjoys strategy but avoids financial reviews.
Sometimes we don't dislike work.
We dislike the seat we're sitting in.
Reflection Questions
- What parts of this seat energize me?
- What parts consistently drain me?
- If someone offered me this exact seat today, would I enthusiastically accept it?
Do I Have the Capacity?
Capacity isn't effort.
It isn't intelligence.
It isn't commitment.
Capacity means you have the time, emotional bandwidth, experience, and ability to consistently perform at the level the seat requires.
Signs the answer might be No:
- You're constantly overwhelmed.
- Great weeks require unsustainable hours.
- You regularly drop important responsibilities.
- The company has outgrown your current capabilities.
- You are sacrificing your health, family, or personal well-being just to keep up.
Examples:
An entrepreneur still serving as the bookkeeper after the business has grown substantially.
A manager with too many direct reports.
A Visionary trying to simultaneously serve as Integrator and Head of Sales.
Capacity isn't just about competence.
It's about sustainability.
Reflection Questions
- What parts of this seat stretch me in healthy ways?
- Where am I consistently running out of time or energy?
- Is my current approach sustainable for the next year?
Step 4: Understand the Gap
For every "No," ask yourself why.
Don't settle for vague answers like, "I need to get better."
Instead, identify the specific gap.
Examples include:
- I don't understand financial forecasting.
- I avoid difficult conversations.
- I have too many direct reports.
- I don't know how to coach people.
- I don't enjoy hiring.
- I don't have enough uninterrupted thinking time.
The more specific the issue, the easier it becomes to solve.
Reflection Questions
- What is the real issue?
- Is this a knowledge gap, a desire gap, or a capacity gap?
- What evidence tells me that?
Step 5: Can the Gap Be Closed?
Some GWC gaps can absolutely be closed.
Others cannot.
Ask yourself:
- What knowledge or skills am I missing?
- What habits need to change?
- What experience do I need?
- What support would help?
- What systems could make me more effective?
Then ask an even harder question.
Am I willing to make that investment?
Closing a gap requires humility.
Learning.
Practice.
Feedback.
Time.
Discomfort.
If you're unwilling to make that investment, that tells you something important too.
Reflection Questions
- Is this realistically a "not yet" problem or a "not ever" problem?
- Am I truly willing to invest what this seat requires?
- If not, what does that tell me?
Step 6: What Support Do I Need?
Growth rarely happens alone.
Ask yourself:
- What support do I need from my manager?
- What support do I need from my leadership team?
- What training or coaching would accelerate my growth?
- What obstacles need to be removed?
These questions transform the conversation from blame to partnership.
Reflection Questions
- Who can help me close this gap?
- What support should I ask for?
- What responsibility belongs to me?
Step 7: Have the Conversation
Don't keep your assessment to yourself.
Share it.
Ask your manager or leadership team where they agree.
Ask where they disagree.
Listen carefully.
The goal isn't to prove you're right.
The goal is to discover the truth.
Sometimes you'll walk away with a development plan.
Sometimes you'll redesign the seat.
Sometimes you'll conclude that another seat would allow you to make a greater contribution.
All of those outcomes are wins because they're built on clarity.
Step 8: Own Your Growth
If everyone agrees the gaps can be closed it is in the best interest of the businss to close them, build a plan.
Turn your biggest development priorities into quarterly Rocks.
Review your progress every week in your Level 10 Meeting or your regular one-on-one with your manager.
Track measurable improvements wherever possible.
Celebrate progress every quarter.
Growth happens one quarter at a time.
GWC Gaps Are Real
Here's the part many leaders—and many employees—would rather avoid.
GWC gaps are often difficult to close.
Sometimes they're impossible.
Training helps.
Coaching helps.
Experience helps.
But they don't solve every gap.
Sometimes they reveal that the seat simply isn't the right fit.
And that's okay.
Not GWC'ing a seat doesn't make someone a bad employee.
It doesn't mean they're lazy.
It doesn't mean they aren't talented.
It simply means there is a mismatch between the person and the seat.
Some gaps are temporary.
Some are permanent.
The difficult part is having the wisdom and honesty to know the difference.
The Kindest Decision Isn't Always the Easiest One
I've watched leaders keep people in seats they knew weren't right because they cared deeply about them.
I've also watched employees stay in seats they secretly knew weren't right because they didn't want to disappoint anyone.
Both sides usually know.
Neither side wants to say it out loud.
So everyone works harder.
Everyone becomes more frustrated.
Everyone loses confidence.
The company suffers.
The individual suffers.
And the longer it continues, the harder the conversation becomes.
Ironically, the kindest thing is to create clarity sooner.
Sometimes that means building a development plan.
Sometimes it means redesigning the seat.
Sometimes it means moving someone into a different role where they can truly thrive.
And yes, sometimes it means helping someone transition out of the organization.
Those conversations are never easy.
But they are almost always kinder than allowing someone to struggle indefinitely in a seat they know doesn't fit.
Make This a Quarterly Habit
Don't wait until you're burned out.
Don't wait until your annual review.
Don't wait until someone else raises the issue.
One of the best times to complete this exercise is before your next Quarterly Session. As you prepare to reflect on the previous 90 days and set your next Rocks, ask yourself whether you still GWC every seat you occupy.
If you aren't on the leadership team, this exercise is just as valuable. Complete it before your next quarterly conversation or one-on-one with your manager. You'll walk into that meeting with greater self-awareness, a clearer understanding of your strengths and gaps, and concrete ideas for how you want to continue growing.
Every quarter, take a Clarity Break and ask yourself:
- What seats am I sitting in today?
- Have those seats changed?
- Do I still Get them?
- Do I still Want them?
- Do I still have the Capacity to succeed in them?
- Where are the gaps?
- Which gaps should become Rocks this quarter?
- What support do I need?
- Who do I need to have an honest conversation with?
Leadership isn't about proving you still deserve your seat.
It's about continually making sure you're in the seat where you can make your greatest contribution.
Because GWC isn't something you achieve once.
It's something you intentionally maintain.
Everyone deserves a seat they GWC.
The best leaders make sure that's true for themselves before they ask it of anyone else.