My mentor René Boer, co-author of How to Be a Great Boss, once told me something that fundamentally changed how I think about team health and accountability: When you keep an underperformer in a seat, you’re essentially “stealing their life.”
It’s a stark statement. But after years of working with leadership teams running on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), I’ve seen this truth play out again and again.
The Pattern We See Too Often
A leadership team sits around the Accountability Chart during a Quarterly session. They review their people using the People Analyzer. Someone on the team doesn’t share the Core Values. Or they clearly don’t GWC (Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it) for their role.
Everyone knows it. The data shows it. The team feels it.
Yet quarter after quarter, that person remains in their seat.
Why Leaders Keep the Wrong People
In our experience, there are three primary reasons leaders tolerate underperformers:
Fear of conflict. The thought of having a difficult conversation, looking someone in the eye, and telling them they’re not the right fit keeps many leaders paralyzed. It’s easier to avoid the discomfort than to face it head-on.
The “someone is better than no one” fallacy. Leaders convince themselves that keeping a warm body in the seat is preferable to having an empty chair. At least things are getting done, right? At least there’s coverage.
The burden of additional work. If we let this person go, who will do their job? The honest answer is often “me,” and leaders already feel stretched thin. So, they choose the path of least immediate resistance.
These reasons feel practical. They feel reasonable. But they’re costing you far more than you realize.
The Real Cost of Keeping the Wrong Person
When you tolerate an underperformer, you’re not being kind. You’re creating three devastating outcomes:
1. You’re Losing Credibility as a Leader
Your team is watching. When you claim to value accountability but fail to act on poor performance, your words lose meaning. When you say the Core Values matter but keep someone who violates them, you signal that standards are negotiable.
Great leaders do the right thing even when it’s hard. When you consistently avoid the hard thing, you erode your team’s trust and respect.
2. You’re Demoralizing Your High Performers
Nothing burns out your A-players faster than watching mediocrity get rewarded with job security. Your best people are pulling extra weight to compensate for the underperformer. They’re watching someone violate the Core Values or fail to deliver results, and nothing happens.
Eventually, they stop trying so hard. Or worse, they leave.
When the wrong people stay, the right people leave.
3. You’re Stealing the Underperformer’s Life
This is René’s insight, and it’s profound. By keeping someone in a seat where they can’t succeed, you’re not doing them a favor. You’re trapping them in a situation where they experience daily frustration, stress, and failure.
You’re preventing them from finding work that truly fits them, a role where they can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and feel fulfilled. You’re stealing months or years they could have spent succeeding somewhere else.
The Compassionate Choice
Here’s what we remind leadership teams: Making the tough people decision isn’t cruel. It’s compassionate for everyone involved.
It’s compassionate to your organization, which deserves the Right People in the Right Seats. It’s compassionate to your high performers, who deserve to work alongside people who share their commitment. And yes, it’s compassionate to the underperformer, who deserves the chance to find their right fit.
The EOS People Analyzer gives you the tool to assess objectively. The Accountability Chart clarifies the requirements for each seat. The Three-Strike Rule gives you a fair process.
The only thing left is the courage to act.
Moving Forward
If you’re tolerating someone who doesn’t GWC their seat or doesn’t share your Core Values, you already know what needs to happen. The question isn’t “what should I do?” The question is “when will I do it?”
Every day you wait, you’re choosing short-term comfort over long-term health. You’re choosing avoidance over leadership.
Your team is waiting for you to be the leader they need. The underperformer deserves the truth. And you deserve to lead an organization filled with people who truly belong.
Stop stealing lives. Start making the tough calls. Ready to get better at making people decisions? Reach out to learn how EOS can help your leadership team gain clarity and confidence around the People Component.
