We have just promoted our long-time Operations Manager to our first full-time Integrator seat. However, our department heads are still bypassing her and coming directly to me as the founder for final approvals. How do we onboard this new Integrator structurally so the team respects her authority on the Accountability Chart?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting an internal leader to the Integrator seat is a massive milestone, but you will fail if you allow your department heads to continue bypassing her. When team members come to you for final approvals, they are undermining the new structure and showing a lack of trust in the new Integrator.

To transition authority successfully, you must practice the Trust Creation Process. This starts with clear communication. You must explicitly tell the leadership team that you are no longer the operational bottleneck.

When a department head approaches you with an operational issue or asks for an approval, you must use a simple response: Have you run this by our Integrator? Do not solve the problem. Do not give your opinion. If you give advice, you validate their bypass.

You must also look at your own behavior. Are you stepping in because you enjoy the control? This is a self-orientation issue that will drive your new Integrator out of the company.

Use your weekly Level 10 Meetings to reinforce the new reporting lines. The Integrator must run the meeting, hold the team accountable to their weekly metrics, and manage the operational Rocks. Your job as the Visionary is to support her decisions publicly. If you disagree with her operational choices, you must resolve that privately in your same-page meetings, never in front of the team.