My business partner and I both want to sit in the Visionary seat on our Accountability Chart, and neither of us wants to be the Integrator. This is creating a leadership vacuum in operations and confusing our leadership team. How do we structure this without destroying our partnership?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An organization can only have one Visionary and one Integrator. Having two people in the Visionary seat creates absolute chaos. It results in conflicting ideas, shifting priorities, and a confused leadership team that does not know which vision to follow.

To resolve this friction, you and your partner must take a step back and have an honest conversation about your unique abilities. Go through a formal GWC™ evaluation for the Visionary seat.

The Visionary seat is responsible for big ideas, key relationships, research and development, and culture. It requires high creative energy and a tolerance for risk. The Integrator seat is responsible for execution, management, accountability, and harmonizing the leadership team.

If you both truly GWC™ the Visionary seat and neither is suited to be the Integrator, you must hire an outside Integrator. In this scenario, one partner must occupy the Visionary seat, and the other must transition to a different strategic seat that matches their unique ability, such as Head of Product or Head of Business Development.

Both of these seats will report directly to the new Integrator. This requires putting egos aside and prioritizing the greater good of the company. If you cannot agree on who sits where, your business will remain stuck in a structural stalemate that will devalue the company.