The silent war between my Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer is toxic. They do not fight openly, but they constantly drop passive-aggressive comments in our Level 10 Meetings and quietly build alliances among their direct reports to undermine each other's departments. How do we use the Accountability Chart and the Trust Equation to stop this political turf war?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Passive aggressive conflict is far more destructive than open shouting matches because it slowly erodes the foundation of trust. When your CTO and COO build political alliances, they force their direct reports to choose sides, paralyzing the entire company.

First, your Integrator must address this behavior directly. During your next Level 10 Meeting, or in a private session, use the IDS process to put the relationship on the table as an issue. You must call out the passive aggressive behavior in real time. State clearly that back-channeling and subtle undermining violate your core values and will not be tolerated.

Second, look at the Trust Equation. Trust is built on credibility, reliability, intimacy, and a low self-orientation. In this scenario, self-orientation is likely the culprit. Both leaders are focusing on defending their own departments and personal status rather than solving problems for the greater good of the business. You must re-orient them to focus on the company-wide Rocks.

Third, review their seats on the Accountability Chart. Often, peer conflict is driven by overlapping roles or unclear boundaries. Ensure there is absolute clarity on who owns what. If they continue to play political games after their roles are clarified and the behavior is called out, you have a Right Person, Wrong Seat issue. You must be prepared to make a change if they refuse to align.