Every leadership team eventually faces a moment that tests its culture—one that demands honesty, humility, and courage.
In a recent session, I sat with a leadership team that had one of the most open and vulnerable discussions I’ve witnessed in six years of implementing EOS.
Calling It Out
When we got to the question, “What’s the most important thing we need to solve this quarter?” one team member spoke up. “We have a major leadership team issue,” they said—directly, respectfully, and by name.
No politics. No hiding. Just truth.
What followed was two hours of calm, professional, but brutally honest discussion. The person in question didn’t react defensively. They responded—listening, processing, staying composed. That choice set the tone for a truly productive conversation.
At one point, they said quietly, “I get the feeling everyone wants me to step off the Leadership Team.”
I paused and said, “I don’t think they’re asking you to resign from Leadership. I think they’re asking you to either step up or step aside.”
Around the table, every head nodded. Nobody wanted this person gone—they wanted to see their colleague fully engaged.
Choosing to Step Up
By the end of the session, this leader committed to and shared a clear plan to GWC their seat—to Get it, Want it, and build the Capacity to do it. It was a defining moment for the team: open, honest, and rooted in the belief that accountability is an act of respect.
Because the truth is, when someone isn’t fully owning their role, the team feels it. And avoiding that reality prolongs everybody’s pain. Great teams don’t avoid hard conversations—they lean into them.
The Real Test of Leadership
Leadership isn’t about titles or tenure. It’s about owning the seat you’re in and earning the trust of the people around you every day.
When a team can have this kind of conversation—with vulnerability, professionalism, and grace—it creates the kind of culture where everyone wins.
A Question for You
Every business has a moment like this at some point.
The question is: when it comes, will your team have the courage to face it? Will you—and those around you—step up or or step aside if the seat outgrows you?