Diagnose before you replace

A struggling leader requires your attention to both their work and the conditions you have given them. Describe the gap using dated examples, and ask how they approached the work. Keep the observed result separate from any explanation of their intentions.

Check expectations and work conditions. Has the role expanded? Do staffing and decision authority match the commitments? Are different executives asking for incompatible results? Examine what follows the manager’s choices, including what you recognize and what you ask them to explain.

Seniority does not remove the need for clear expectations, useful documentation, coaching, and feedback. Before deciding that a leader should already know how to do something, check whether you have provided those conditions. If their performance has declined, ask what happened when they were doing the work well, including whether anyone recognized it.

If a skill is uncertain, review or observe the relevant work. For example, ask the manager to explain how they prepared a capacity estimate. Arrange coaching for the part they cannot yet demonstrate and resolve the resource or priority conflicts within your authority.

Agree on the improvement required, the support you will provide, and when to review the evidence. Recognize a specific improvement when you see it and follow through on your commitments. If the gap remains, use the evidence to decide whether the role, support, or person in the role must change.

Work through the responsible manager on team-level problems. If you must intervene directly to address an urgent risk, make the temporary authority clear and agree on how responsibility will return.