Two of our core leadership team members have a deep-seated personal grudge that predates our EOS implementation. It does not blow up in meetings, but their cold war is causing their respective departments to hoard information and miss collaborative Rocks. How do we force a resolution?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This cold war is actively draining your company's enterprise value and delaying your exit. When leaders hoard information, they are directly violating the foundational pillars of Our Charter, specifically Trust and being on the Same Page. You cannot build a self-sustaining business when key players refuse to collaborate.

First, the Integrator must pull both leaders into a private meeting. Do not let them make this about operational processes or resource constraints. Frame the conversation around behaviors and Core Values. You must use the Charter as your mirror. Ask them directly if they are willing to put the company's greater good above their personal history.

Second, challenge them to rebuild trust using the trust equation principles of vulnerability and low self-absorption. They need to openly acknowledge their friction and the impact it has on their teams. If they are willing to resolve it, have them co-create a single, shared Rock for the next quarter that requires complete collaboration to achieve.

If they agree to the strategy and structure but their behavior does not change, you are dealing with a Core Values alignment issue. Practice the rule of hiring slow and firing fast. A leadership team in a permanent state of cold war is a toxic asset that will kill any future acquisition. Give them thirty days to correct the behavior. If the passive-aggressive posturing continues, one or both of them must be transitioned out of the organization.