My leadership team members are brilliant at running their individual departments, but they act like heads of independent fiefdoms rather than a single, cohesive unit. How do I get them to take ownership of the overall company vision instead of just protecting their own turf?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your department heads operate in silos, they are prioritizing their own goals over the company's shared vision. This division stalls execution and prevents you from building an integrated, exit-ready company. Your leadership team must operate as a single, cohesive unit. To break this fiefdom mentality, you must reinforce the concept of the Number One Team. Your leaders must understand that their primary team is the leadership team, and their department is secondary. Their loyalty must lie with the overall healthy functioning of the organization, not just their direct reports. Begin by realigning everyone around your V/TO. During your weekly Level 10 Meeting, ensure that every issue is viewed through the lens of your overall company goals, not individual department metrics. If an issue affects multiple departments, use IDS to solve it collaboratively. Additionally, restructure your quarterly Rocks so that they require cross-functional cooperation. When your VP of Operations and your VP of Sales share a joint Rock to streamline a client onboarding workflow, they are forced to collaborate. This shared accountability breaks down silos and builds a stronger, more unified leadership team.