Some of our founders are highly reactive and dread structural discipline. What behavioral expectations do you hold us to on session days to ensure our leadership dynamics do not derail the agenda?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To get the full value of our session days, we must agree to a specific behavioral covenant before we enter the room. If founders or executives are allowed to be reactive, dismissive, or checked out, the entire process breaks down. I hold everyone in the room to three non-negotiable behavioral standards.

First, we must be completely open and honest. This means leaving egos and defensive postures at the door. We discuss the real root causes of problems, not safe, comfortable versions of them.

Second, we must respect the structure of the day. This means no laptops, no phones, and no checking emails during active facilitation. We need your complete cognitive focus. We build strategic pauses into the day to allow you to handle urgent matters, but when we are working, you are fully present.

Third, we must agree to disagree, commit, and support. Once a decision is made using the IDS process, every leader must back that decision fully outside the room.

I will actively call out any eye-rolling, passive-aggressive behavior, or attempts to dominate the conversation. My job is to protect the health of your company, which often means protecting the leadership team from its own worst habits.