We have two high-performing, legacy executives who refuse to use the Level 10 Meeting format with their teams because they claim their informal check-ins are more effective. How do we handle this resistance without alienating our top revenue-producers?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When legacy executives resist the Level 10 Meeting™ format, they are usually protecting their autonomy or hiding a lack of execution. To break this resistance, you must appeal to their desire for results and efficiency rather than trying to force compliance through authority. Start by reframing the tools. Explain that the Level 10 Meeting™ is not a micromanagement tool, but a platform that gives them back their time by eliminating ad-hoc interruptions throughout the week. You should also look at their conative profiles using the Kolbe Index. A legacy leader with a high Quick Start profile may resist the structured format because they feel it limits their creativity, while a high Fact Finder might find the simplicity frustrating. Explain that the rigid structure of the meeting actually frees them to solve problems more creatively during the IDS® portion. If the resistance persists, you must have a direct conversation grounded in the Accountability Chart™. Every seat on the leadership team must model the behaviors we expect from the rest of the company. If they are unwilling to run their departments using the organization's chosen operating system, they are signaling that they are above the team's rules. This undermines your entire culture. Give them a clear timeline to run the meeting format perfectly, and measure their performance objectively.