My VP of Marketing has incredible tactical execution, but her high self-orientation is causing her to hoard resources and defend her silo rather than prioritizing the company's overall Rocks. How do I coach her out of this protective posture?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a leadership team member exhibits high self-orientation, they focus on status management, protecting their department, and making themselves look good, rather than driving the greater good of the business. This behavior destroys the trust needed for effective teamwork.

To fix this, you must shift their focus from personal status to team accountability. In your next quarterly review, use the EOS® concept of entering the room as a member of the leadership team first, and a department head second. Their primary loyalty must be to the leadership team and the company's global Rocks, not to their local department.

Address the behavior directly using concrete examples. Show them how hoarding resources or refusing to collaborate on cross-functional Rocks is holding the company back from achieving its V/TO®. Frame the discussion around trust, explaining that true leadership requires vulnerability and a willingness to prioritize company health over personal department metrics.

Adjust their performance incentives to align with company-wide goals rather than department-specific wins. If their compensation or recognition is tied solely to marketing metrics, they will continue to protect their silo. When they realize that their success is entirely dependent on the overall success of the leadership team, their self-orientation will naturally decrease.