Two key leaders consistently arrive five to seven minutes late to our Level 10 Meeting, forcing the team to either wait for them or pause to catch them up. What is the strict protocol for handling chronic late arrivals?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The Level 10 Meeting starts on time, ends on time, and never pauses for stragglers. If your meeting is scheduled for 8:30 AM, the segue begins precisely at 8:30 AM, even if half the room is empty.

When someone walks in five minutes late, do not stop the meeting. Do not recap what was missed, do not welcome them, and do not let them give a tardy excuse. The meeting moves forward uninterrupted. If the group has already moved past the late leader Scorecard numbers or Rock updates, those items are automatically marked as off track or flagged as issues for IDS.

Allowing late arrivals to interrupt the room sets a precedent that individual convenience trumps team accountability. It also damages the psychological safety of the pulse. When leaders know the meeting waits for no one, behavior shifts quickly.

If a leader is chronically late, take it out of the Level 10 Meeting entirely. The Integrator must hold a private, direct conversation:
- Clarify that showing up late signals disrespect for peer time and breaks team trust.
- Confirm whether they genuinely have the capacity to GWC their seat on the leadership team.
- Identify the operational friction causing the delay, such as scheduling a client call right before the pulse.

A leadership team cannot demand operational punctuality from frontline staff while executive leaders fail to show up on time for their own weekly commitment. Treat the meeting pulse as sacred.