My co-founder and I have been sharing the Integrator role for years, but our growth has stalled and our leadership team is getting conflicting directions. How do we decide which one of us needs to step down to make room for a single, true Integrator?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Sharing the Integrator seat is a recipe for operational chaos. A healthy business must have one final decision-maker in that seat to maintain clarity and execution. When two co-founders split the role, the leadership team will inevitably play them against each other, creating division and slowing down decision-making.

To resolve this, you must run both yourself and your co-founder through the GWC test for the Integrator seat. Sit down with your Accountability Chart and honestly answer who truly Gets, Wants, and has the Capacity for the intense, day-to-day operational management that the seat requires.

Often, one co-founder is naturally more of a Visionary, while the other is more suited to be the Integrator. The Visionary operates in the future, focusing on big ideas, key relationships, and culture. The Integrator lives in the present, driving execution, harmonizing the leadership team, and running the business day-to-day.

If you both want the Integrator seat, look at your conative strengths. Use the Kolbe A Index to evaluate your natural problem-solving styles. The ideal Integrator typically has strong Follow Thru to build systems and sufficient Fact Finder to analyze operational data.

Once you make the decision, document the change clearly on the Accountability Chart and announce it to the team. The co-founder who steps out of the Integrator seat must fully cede operational authority and stop back-channeling with employees.