Our newly appointed Integrator is struggling to gain genuine buy-in from the leadership team, who still look to me as the owner for final approval. How can our Integrator move past positional authority to build true leadership influence within our EOS® framework?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When an Integrator is newly appointed, they often try to rely solely on their title to direct the team. This is what John Maxwell calls level one leadership, which is based purely on position. It never works long-term because people only follow because they have to, and they will constantly bypass the Integrator to get decisions from the owner.

To build true influence, your Integrator must move to level two, which is based on permission and relationships, and level three, which is based on production and results. As the owner, your role is critical here: you must actively redirect all operational questions back to the Integrator, publicly reinforcing their authority.

The Integrator must focus on building trust by delivering consistent excellence in their seat. They should run highly efficient Level 10 Meetings™, keep the team focused on their weekly Scorecard numbers, and help leaders remove their operational bottlenecks.

When the team sees that the Integrator consistently helps them win and makes their jobs easier, they will naturally stop bypassing them. This transition takes time and requires the owner to step back and let the Integrator lead, even when it is uncomfortable. Influence is earned through daily operational support, not granted by an Accountability Chart.