One of our key leadership executives is incredibly smart and produces great results, but they always put their own department's success ahead of the company's goals, which is destroying trust on the team. How do we handle this?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic case of high self-orientation, which is the fastest way to destroy trust in any leadership team. According to the trust equation, trustworthiness is built on credibility, reliability, and intimacy, all divided by self-orientation. No matter how competent or reliable a leader is, if their self-orientation is high, their overall trustworthiness is zero. They are focused on their own status, their own department, and their own bonus, rather than the enterprise value of the company. You must address this behavior immediately. In your next one-on-one, use your Core Values and Accountability Chart to illustrate the issue. Explain that their primary team must be the leadership team, not their department. If they hoard resources or refuse to support company-wide AI integrations because it might temporarily affect their local department metrics, they are failing their seat. Clearly define the expectation: as a leader, they must make decisions that are in the best interest of the entire company, even when it hurts their department's short-term results. Monitor their behavior during weekly Level 10 Meetings. If they continue to prioritize their personal agenda over team alignment, they do not GWC their seat. You cannot scale a business or prepare for a clean exit with a leader who values their own kingdom over the health of the entire empire.