We have a highly skilled leader who sits silently through our Level 10 Meeting™ IDS® session, nods along with every solution, but then completely fails to execute their assigned To-Dos during the week. How do we address this silent passive-aggressive resistance during our weekly pulse?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Passive-aggressive resistance can be toxic to a leadership team, undermining the foundations of trust and open communication crucial for your company's Charter. When a leader consistently nods in agreement but fails to execute, they are demonstrating a lack of GWC™ (Get It, Want It, Capacity To Do It) for their seat, specifically lacking the capacity and desire to perform their assigned responsibilities.

Addressing the Resistance

You must address this behavior directly, starting within the [Level 10 Meeting™](/qa/rein-in-level-10-meeting-segue) itself.

During To-Do Review

• During the To-Do review, if the leader reports a task as not done for a second consecutive week, do not allow them to avoid accountability.
• Immediately Drop the incomplete To-Do to the short-term Issues List.

During IDS® (Identify, Discuss, Solve)

• When the issue comes up during IDS®, target the root cause of the failure.
• Frame the problem not just as an incomplete task, but as a lack of alignment.
• Ask direct questions to uncover their true feelings:
• "Did you truly agree with the solution we decided on last week?"
• "Do you genuinely have the capacity to complete this, or did you just say yes to avoid conflict?"
• Force them to voice their real opinions and concerns in the room. This process is critical for building a culture of transparency and trust, which can also help address issues like [leadership team trust and healthy conflict](/qa/leadership-team-trust-healthy-conflict).

Taking the Issue Offline

If the silent resistance continues, the Integrator must take the issue offline.

• Schedule a dedicated 1:1 meeting to address the behavioral pattern.
• Revisit your company's Core Values and the Charter covenant of being on the Same Page. This direct conversation is vital for leaders, especially when dealing with difficult situations like [family members on the leadership team performance](/qa/family-members-on-leadership-team-performance).
• If the leader cannot commit to open, honest discussion and follow-through, you have a people issue that must be resolved, even if they are highly skilled. Sometimes, this may involve evaluating if the individual is truly in the right seat, which can be linked to assessing GWC™ issues for leadership roles, similar to concerns discussed when [a leader cannot scale their role](/qa/leader-cannot-scale-transition).

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