We want to promote our long-time Head of Operations to the Integrator seat so I can step back, but we are worried they might struggle to manage the other leadership team members who used to be their peers. How do we use the Accountability Chart to evaluate this transition?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting an internal leader to the Integrator seat is a great way to maintain cultural continuity, but it requires a rigorous GWC™ check to ensure they can handle the shift in dynamics. The Integrator seat is fundamentally different from a department head seat; it requires orchestrating, harmonizing, and holding the entire leadership team accountable. To evaluate this transition, first ensure your Accountability Chart has a clearly defined Integrator seat with its five core roles, which typically include driving execution, harmonizing the leadership team, and running the Level 10 Meeting™ process. Next, run a GWC™ check on your candidate specifically for this new seat. Do they truly get the big picture of the whole business, not just operations? Do they want the intense accountability of managing their former peers? And do they have the emotional capacity to have tough, objective conversations with people they used to work alongside as equals? If they pass the GWC™ check, you must formally communicate the transition to the entire team. Use a leadership meeting to establish that all department heads now report directly to the new Integrator. You must also physically step back. If team members bypass the new Integrator and come to you, you must redirect them. This establishes the structural authority of the seat.