I have been running our manufacturing business as both the Visionary and the Integrator for fifteen years, but we are prepping for an exit in three years and I need to install a true Integrator. I am terrified that bringing in an outsider will break our culture and slow us down. How do I successfully add an Integrator seat to our Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Transitioning from a combined Visionary and Integrator to split seats is the hardest structural change an owner will make. To make this work, you must first define the Integrator seat on your Accountability Chart with absolute clarity. An Integrator typically owns four main things: running the day-to-day business, harmonizing the leadership team, executing the business plan, and driving accountability. Before you hire or promote, you must complete your own conative and behavioral screening, such as the Kolbe Index, to understand your own operating style. Most Visionaries are high Quick Starts who crave change, while Integrators are high Follow Thrus who build systems. When you find a candidate, test them against your core values and the GWC™ framework. They must Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity to do it. Once hired, do not just throw them into the deep end. You must run weekly Same Page Meetings™ to align. You must also formally announce the transition to your leadership team and declare that all operational decisions now flow through the Integrator. If you bypass them, you fail. Your job is now to focus on the Visionary seat, strategic relationships, and planning for the exit while letting your Integrator run the machine.