Our Head of Sales and Head of Operations have developed an intense personal feud over customer handoffs, resulting in backchannel sniping and operational drag. How do we resolve peer conflict at the leadership table before it fractures the lower teams?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When two department heads feud, the friction never stays contained at the executive level. It quickly poisons frontline operations, creating tribalism between account reps and delivery teams. Cracks at the leadership table inevitably show up as canyons across the entire company.

To resolve this, the Integrator must immediately intervene rather than hoping the dynamic sorts itself out. Schedule a dedicated session with both leaders to address the conflict head-on. Ground the discussion in your Core Values and the company vision outlined on your Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO). Remind both executives that their primary allegiance is to the leadership team and enterprise health, not to defending their respective departments.

Use the IDS (Identify, Discuss, and Solve) process to dissect the structural issues fueling the friction. Most peer conflict is not purely personal. It usually stems from misaligned handoffs, vague definitions of a qualified deal, or unclear expectations on the Accountability Chart. Map out the exact handoff process from sales signature to project kickoff. Clearly define where the sales seat responsibility ends and the operations seat responsibility begins.

Once the structural root cause is solved, establish a zero-tolerance policy for passive-aggressive backchanneling. Mandate that both leaders handle disagreements face-to-face inside the Level 10 Meeting. If either leader continues to harbor personal animosity or wage political campaigns, they fail your Core Values and must be removed from the team.