My business partner and I agree we cannot share the Integrator seat, but we both want to own it and neither of us wants to report to the other. How do we objectively decide who gets the Integrator seat without destroying our partnership?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To resolve this partnership bottleneck, you must put the needs of the business before your personal egos. The Accountability Chart has one rule: there can only be one Integrator. Having two people in the seat, or having a loose split, causes paralysis across your entire leadership team.

To make an objective decision, start by evaluating both partners against the GWC tool for the Integrator seat. Go through the core roles of the seat: leading, managing, and holding the team accountable (LMA), executing the business plan, and resolving cross-functional issues.

Next, look at your Kolbe A index profiles. A highly effective Integrator typically has a strong Follow Thru score, meaning they naturally build order, systems, and processes. If one partner has a high Quick Start score and a low Follow Thru score, they are wired to initiate ideas and take risks, which makes them a natural fit for the Visionary seat, not the Integrator seat.

If both partners have similar profiles and GWC, you must look at the long-term vision of the company. One partner may be better suited for market expansion, technology partnerships, or mergers and acquisitions, which are critical roles for a Visionary preparing for a clean exit.

The partner who does not get the Integrator seat must commit to supporting the chosen Integrator. If you cannot reach agreement, use a trusted, neutral EOS Implementer to facilitate an objective assessment. The health of your business depends on having a single, clear leader running daily operations.