I am trying to choose my successor as Integrator from within my leadership team, but I am worried about selecting the wrong person. How do I use conative profiles to make this critical decision?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Selecting the wrong Integrator will derail your exit plan and destroy your company value. You cannot base this decision solely on seniority, personality, or past performance. You must evaluate their natural, hardwired conative drive.

Use conative assessments like the Aptive Index to measure how candidates naturally take action, solve problems, and handle structure. An Integrator seat requires a specific conative makeup. They must have a strong Follow Thru instinct to organize, systematize, and execute your business plan. They also need a strong Fact Finder instinct to gather details, analyze data, and run weekly Level 10 Meetings with precision.

If you promote a candidate who has a dominant Quick Start drive, they will naturally seek constant change and flexibility, which can lead to operational chaos rather than the stability a buyer wants to see. Verify that the candidate has the GWC for the seat. They must get the role, want the role, and have the mental and physical capacity to handle the intense operational pressure.

Use the transition period to test their fit. Give them a strategic pause by stepping away from daily operations for a month. Observe how the business runs under their leadership. If the team continues to execute and resolve issues using the IDS framework without your intervention, you have found the right successor.