My business partner and I have equal equity, and our Level 10 Meetings frequently devolve into strategic stalemates during IDS because we cannot agree on operational decisions. How do we handle partner deadlocks during the weekly pulse?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Equal partnership stalemates can paralyze a company's weekly operational execution. When co-founders cannot agree, the entire leadership team suffers from a lack of clear direction.

The solution lies in your Accountability Chart, not your ownership structure. Ownership and operations are two completely different things.

You must ensure that your Accountability Chart clearly defines who sits in the Integrator seat. The Integrator must have the final authority to break ties and make operational decisions. If you or your partner sits in the Integrator seat, that person has the ultimate say on operational issues during the Level 10 Meeting.

If you are co-Integrators, you must restructure. A business cannot have two Integrators. One must take the seat, or you must hire an outside Integrator.

When an issue arises during IDS, debate it fiercely. But when the time is up, the person who owns the seat where the issue lives must make the call. If it is a cross-departmental issue, the Integrator makes the final decision.

Keep ownership discussions in your shareholder meetings, and keep operational execution in your Level 10 Meetings. Respect the Accountability Chart, trust the seat, and move the business forward.