I plan to exit the business in five years, and my current Integrator wants to retire at the same time. We need to identify and groom a successor from our current mid-level management team to step into the Integrator seat, but we are struggling to evaluate who actually GWC™ the role versus who is just a highly competent manager. How do we test and transition internal candidates into this critical leadership seat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Preparing for an exit means you must build a self-sustaining leadership team that can thrive without you and your current Integrator. Transitioning an internal candidate to the Integrator seat is a great path, but you must evaluate them objectively, not emotionally.

Begin by using the Accountability Chart to define the Integrator seat roles precisely. Then, evaluate your internal candidates against the GWC™ framework. Do they truly get the big-picture operational harmony required of the seat? Do they want the intense responsibility of holding the entire leadership team accountable? Do they have the intellectual and emotional capacity to lead complex operational systems?

To test these candidates, start delegating specific Integrator responsibilities to them incrementally. Have them run a portion of your quarterly offsite or lead specific strategic Rocks that cross multiple departments. Watch how they manage peer-to-peer accountability and how they handle conflict during these assignments.

If a candidate struggles to let go of their tactical department work or fails to hold their peers accountable, they lack the capacity for the Integrator seat. You must be prepared to look outside the organization if your internal candidates do not fully GWC™ the seat, as placing an unqualified internal manager in this role will jeopardize your entire exit strategy.