During our weekly IDS® sessions, some of our more opinionated leaders constantly dictate solutions for other departments, which undermines the authority of the accountable leader sitting in that seat. How do we maintain boundaries and respect the Accountability Chart during problem-solving?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A successful Level 10 Meeting™ requires open discussion, but it must not devolve into cross-departmental meddling. When dominant leaders try to solve problems for seats they do not own, they create resentment and strip the accountable leader of their authority. This behavior halts team growth and stalls your efforts to build an independent, exit-ready leadership team.

To prevent this, you must rely on your Accountability Chart during the identify, discuss, and solve process. Every issue on your list must have an owner, and that owner is the person in whose seat the issue resides.

While other team members should offer their perspectives and feedback, the ultimate solution must be owned and agreed to by the seat holder. They are the ones who must live with the decision and execute the resulting To-Dos.

The facilitator must step in if a leader starts dictating how another department should operate. Remind the team that their role is to help the issue owner see the problem clearly, not to make the decision for them.

Use these rules to protect boundaries during IDS®:

- Clearly identify which seat owns the issue before you begin discussion.
- Let the issue owner speak first and frame what kind of help they need from the team.
- Ensure any resulting To-Dos are assigned directly to the owner of that seat, unless they explicitly delegate a specific task to another leader.

By respecting these boundaries, you build trust and ensure your leaders are truly accountable for their own departments. This creates a stronger leadership team and a more valuable business.