Don’t Fire Your CMO, or CRO, or Head of Sales (Yet)

How better support — not a replacement — could unlock stronger leadership and results

When a portfolio company is underperforming, leadership often becomes the first suspect. But before you replace your CRO, CMO, or Head of Sales, it’s worth asking: is this a leadership issue... or a support issue?

At VALR Advisors, we’ve worked with enough portfolio teams to recognize a pattern: the blame often gets pinned on the person at the helm, when in reality, the structure around them is shaky — or missing altogether.

Executives Need More Than a Title — They Need Tools

When we evaluate leadership gaps, we often uncover one or more of these root causes:

• Misaligned strategy: The executive is executing well, but on the wrong target.
  
  
• Communication breakdowns: There’s no shared language or framework for collaboration and accountability.
  
  
• Lack of leadership development: The exec may be great in vision or sales but lacks training in team-building or operational execution.
  
  

Rather than firing your CRO or CMO, what if you developed them?

Strategic Tools for Stronger Executives

At VALR Advisors, we guide our clients through proven frameworks that strengthen executive performance without needing to swap the person in the seat:

• Focal Point Exec Coaching: A clear, focused approach to aligning leaders around the most critical metrics and priorities.
  
  
• DISC Behavioral Tools: Helping teams understand communication styles, decision-making tendencies, and potential conflict zones.
  
  
• Trust Edge Leadership Institute: Building trust fast across teams and functions — because without trust, no strategy sticks.
  
  

With the right tools, many struggling execs become standout performers. We've seen it firsthand.

Don’t Default to Replacement

Replacing a senior leader is expensive, time-consuming, and often doesn't solve the underlying issue. Before you pull the trigger, ask yourself:

• Do they need more direction or alignment?
  
  
• Are they aware of performance expectations — and supported in meeting them?
  
  
• Is their team functioning in sync or pulling in different directions?
  
  

Before You Fire, Realign

If you’re facing this dilemma at one of your portfolio companies, let’s talk. We’ll help you identify whether the gap is truly about leadership — or something deeper.

Because sometimes, the right person is already in the seat. They just need the right support.

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