Two of our executives are perfectly polite in our weekly Level 10 Meeting but quietly sabotage each other's departmental Rocks and undermine each other in private conversations. How do we expose and eliminate this passive-aggressive friction?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Polite passive aggression on an executive team is far more dangerous than open shouting matches. When leaders smile during the Level 10 Meeting and nod along with decisions, only to subtly sabotage execution behind closed doors, they rot the foundation of the company. It signals a complete absence of vulnerability-based trust.

You cannot ignore this dynamic or hope the executives work it out privately over drinks. As the visionary or Integrator, you must drag the friction into the daylight. The next time you observe passive obstruction, dropped handoffs, or private side remarks, put the behavior directly on the Issues List for your next Level 10 Meeting.

Frame the discussion using the IDS framework:
- Identify the real root cause by naming specific behaviors rather than vague attitudes.
- Discuss the friction openly in front of the entire team, requiring both executives to state their grievances directly to each other.
- Solve the issue by setting explicit cross-functional expectations and mutual commitments.

Remind the entire table of the primary team principle popularized by Patrick Lencioni. Their primary team is the leadership team, not their individual departments. If sales and operations view each other as rivals rather than partners in driving company vision, the company cannot scale. Make it unequivocally clear that behind-the-scenes politicking is grounds for dismissal. If one or both leaders refuse to embrace open collaboration and mutual accountability, you must remove them from the Accountability Chart.