We have hit a growth ceiling and our leadership team is completely maxed out, so I know we need to add an Integrator to our Accountability Chart, but we cannot afford the salary of a seasoned executive. How do we structure this seat or hire for it when we have a tight budget but desperately need operational relief?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Waiting until you can easily afford a high-priced executive to fill the Integrator seat is a recipe for permanent stagnation. You can solve this budget constraint by looking inside your current organization or structuring the seat as a transitional or fractional role first.

First, look at your existing leadership team. Often, there is a strong operational manager who is already doing much of the coordination work but lacks the formal title and authority. Run a GWC™ check on your internal candidates. Do they truly Get It, Want It, and have the Capacity to Do It? If you find an internal candidate, you can promote them and backfill their previous, lower-salaried seat, which is much cheaper than hiring an outside executive.

If you must hire externally, consider a fractional Integrator to establish the structure and run your Level 10 Meetings™ for six to twelve months. This gives you immediate operational relief and installs the EOS® discipline without the full-time executive salary.

Another option is to hire a high-potential operations leader who has the right conative profile, such as a strong Follow Thru score on the Kolbe A Index, and coach them into the seat. Outline a clear pathway where their compensation increases as they hit specific operational efficiency metrics and revenue targets. This aligns their financial cost with the value they unlock.