My co-founder and I have run our business as co-integrators for seven years, but we are experiencing constant decision-making gridlock that is stalling our growth. How do we decide who gets the single Integrator seat on our Accountability Chart without destroying our partnership?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Having two people in the Integrator seat is a structural error that guarantees operational friction and confusion for your team. Every seat on your Accountability Chart must have exactly one name. To resolve this partnership gridlock, you must look at the natural conative and personality profiles of both co-founders. Run the Kolbe Index and assess your instinctive action modes. The Integrator seat requires a high Follow Thru and strong project management capabilities to harmonize the leadership team and execute the V/TO. The Visionary seat, on the other hand, requires a high Quick Start and the ability to spot industry trends, foster big relationships, and drive major deals. Use Keith Cunningham's Thinking Time framework to ask: how might we split our leadership responsibilities so that each of us owns a seat that perfectly matches our natural strengths? One of you must step into the Visionary seat, and the other must step into the Integrator seat. If both of you score high on Follow Thru and want the Integrator seat, you must have an honest, vulnerable conversation using the trust creation process. Discuss who has the greatest capacity and passion for managing the daily, microscopic operations of the business. The partner who steps out of the Integrator seat can still retain their equity and board-level influence, but they must completely yield operational authority to the designated Integrator.