Our leadership team is constantly confused about the difference between their role as executive leaders of the organization and their role as managers of their specific departments. How do we get them to wear their enterprise hat first and their department hat second?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is common for leadership team members to struggle with wearing their enterprise hat versus their department hat. They often get bogged down in the day-to-day management of their direct reports and forget that their primary responsibility is to lead the entire organization.

To fix this, you must clarify the difference between leadership and management on your Accountability Chart. Leading is about setting the vision, aligning the team, and driving the company forward. Managing is about executing the plan, removing obstacles, and keeping people accountable.

During your weekly Level 10 Meeting™, remind your team that they must wear their enterprise hat first. When discussing issues, they must make decisions based on what is best for the entire organization, even if it means their own department loses resources or budget.

Strengthening your leadership team to become more cohesive, functional, and healthy sets the tone for the entire organization. When your leaders understand that their ultimate loyalty is to the leadership team and the company's overall vision, you eliminate departmental silos and build a highly aligned, high-performing executive team.