How do you handle a leadership team member who shows up to session days physically but remains checked out, arms crossed, or passively resistant to the process?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Passive resistance is poison in a session room. If a leader sits back with their arms crossed, offers passive-aggressive commentary, or refuses to voice their real opinions during debate, I address it immediately and publicly in the room. I will stop the agenda and ask that person directly what is going on. We do not ignore elephant-in-the-room behavior.

The foundational ground rule of our work is that every participant must be completely open and honest. If someone is withholding their opinion in the room only to complain in the parking lot after the session ends, they are actively damaging the health of the leadership team. My job as your facilitator is not to protect feelings; it is to protect the organizational health of your business.

When passive resistance occurs, we follow a direct sequence:

- I call out the body language or lack of engagement on the spot and ask for their raw, unedited perspective on the topic being debated.
- If the resistance stems from valid skepticism or confusion about a tool, we dig into the issue using IDS® until it is resolved.
- If the resistance is personal ego or defiance against accountability, it becomes a visible Accountability Chart and Core Values issue for the Integrator and Visionary to evaluate.

No executive gets a free pass to sit silently during a session day. If a leader consistently refuses to participate in good faith, they are demonstrating that they do not have the GWC™ for a leadership seat in an accountable company. The team will quickly decide whether that seat needs to be filled by someone else.