One of our key leadership team members has started building a massive silo, hoarding resources, and refusing to share cross-departmental data under the guise of protecting their team's efficiency. How do we dismantle this empire-building behavior and force a company-first mindset?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Empire building is a symptom of deep professional insecurity and high self-orientation, which is toxic to a healthy leadership team. When a leader prioritizes their own department over the health of the entire organization, they break the trust required to build a valuable, scalable business.

To dismantle this silo, you must use the trust equation. Address the behavior directly by showing them that their high self-orientation is actively destroying peer trust. Use your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ to bring these cross-departmental data issues to the table and run them through the IDS® process. Do not allow them to hide behind departmental walls; force them to justify their decisions in front of their peers.

Next, evaluate their alignment with your Core Values. A true leadership team member must live the "company-first, department-second" mindset. If they continue to hoard resources, they are violating your core culture.

You should also review their seat on the Accountability Chart. Ensure their departmental Rocks are directly tied to the overall company Rocks on your V/TO®. If their metrics are entirely self-contained, rewrite them so that their success is dependent on collaboration with other departments. If they refuse to align and continue to play political games, they lack the GWC™ for their seat and must be replaced.