Spot and swap mismatches before they stall

I once inherited a $600 million manufacturing business whose market share had sagged under a beloved plant manager, Elaine. She was charming and smart—everyone loved her—but orders were slipping and costs kept creeping up. I hadn’t spent years with her, so I had to quickly decide if she was the right person for turnaround.

I started by crafting a “job DNA” profile: the role needed a whip-smart mind for cost-control KPIs, a bold streak to prune failing product lines, and a knack for supplier negotiations. Then I checked with two former operations heads who’d worked on similar turnarounds. They told me, “Elaine is brilliant at teamwork, but she’s too consensus-driven in a crisis.” No rosy spin could mask the truth.

I followed up with skip-level interviews—talking to a dozen plant engineers without Elaine in the room. They described her with affection, but reluctantly admitted she avoided tough calls that might anger the union. That sealed it. I called her in, praised her people skills, and explained that the situation needed a more decisive hand. She gracefully agreed to find a role better suited to coaching, and I promoted an overhaul expert in her place.

Six months later the plant’s market share climbed back above 25 percent, margins rose 2 points, and morale improved—everyone valued the new, fact-driven leadership. Elaine thrived in her new training role, and we all learned that charisma alone isn’t enough when the job calls for someone to make the hard calls.

When you suspect someone in a critical role isn’t quite right, gather your people and say, “Let’s define the essential traits this job demands.” Write them down. Next, do real-data reference checks—ask for concrete examples of the candidate’s performance in similar situations. Finally, hold skip-level chats with their team, ask two pointed questions on development and decisiveness, and use that live feedback to guide your decision. These steps will help you swap mismatches before they stall your strategy.