I recently promoted a high-performing manager to the Integrator seat, but the rest of my legacy leadership team still treats her like a peer instead of their boss. How do we establish her authority and break their habit of ignoring the new Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This friction occurs because your legacy leaders are relying on old relationships rather than respecting the integrity of the Accountability Chart. When you promote from within, the rest of the team must make a mental shift from treating that person as a peer to respecting them as the leader who runs the day to day operations of the company.

To establish her authority, you as the Visionary must lead by example. You must completely stop letting legacy leaders bypass the Integrator to bring issues, ideas, or complaints directly to you. If someone approaches you, your immediate response must be to ask if they have discussed it with the Integrator first.

Next, clarify the roles publicly. Re-introduce the Accountability Chart during your next quarterly session. Clearly define the roles of both the Visionary and the Integrator, emphasizing that all department heads report directly to the Integrator seat.

The Integrator must also step into her seat with confidence. She needs to run the weekly Level 10 Meeting™ with authority, holding the team accountable to their numbers and Rocks. If legacy leaders continue to challenge her authority, she must address it directly using the IDS® process. If they cannot make the transition to respecting the structure, they do not GWC™ their seats, and you will need to replace them to protect the cohesion of the team.