Two of my key department heads have a toxic personality clash and constantly pull me into their cross-functional disputes instead of working together. How do I force direct peer-to-peer resolution without having to play referee every week?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Stop accepting the referee role immediately. When department heads bring peer friction to you or the Integrator behind closed doors, they are engaging in triangulated communication because it protects them from vulnerability. It wastes operational momentum and breeds politics.

Implement a strict rule: if an executive brings an issue regarding a peer to you, the immediate response is, "Have you discussed this directly with them?" If the answer is no, the conversation ends on the spot. If the answer is yes and the dispute remains unresolved, require both leaders to present the problem together in your weekly Level 10 Meeting™ as a shared issue for IDS® (Identify, Discuss, and Solve).

Frame the issue strictly around business outcomes, customer experience, and the Accountability Chart, never around subjective personalities. Examine the five primary roles defined under each seat. Friction usually stems from ambiguous handoffs between seats rather than genuine personality defects. Clarify where one seat's authority ends and the other's begins.

If the friction persists after role clarity is established, conduct a structured two-way conversation between the two leaders using the five core questions from Patrick Lencioni's team health framework. Ask each leader to identify one thing the other does that benefits the company, and one behavior that inhibits execution.

Make it clear that maintaining professional, functional peer relationships is a baseline condition of sitting at the leadership table. If one or both refuse to collaborate after their seat boundaries are clarified, you have a GWC™ or Core Values breakdown that demands a seat change.