Every member of my leadership team is laser-focused on defending their own department and budget, rather than looking at the business as a whole. How do we shift their mindset from siloed department managers to a unified leadership team that makes decisions for the greater good of the company?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leadership team members act as defense attorneys for their own departments rather than owners of the whole business, execution grinds to a halt. This happens because they are operating with a manager mindset instead of an executive mindset. To fix this, you must change the rules of engagement. On an EOS® leadership team, every member must wear their leadership hat first and their departmental hat second. This means their primary responsibility is the health and success of the entire organization, not just their individual silo. Start by reinforcing this expectation during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. When debating issues during IDS®, push your leaders to look at the business holistically. If the VP of Sales proposes a change, the VP of Operations must feel empowered and responsible to speak up if it hurts fulfillment, and they must work together to find the best solution for the company. Align their personal incentives and Rocks with the overarching goals of your V/TO®. If their quarterly bonuses or performance evaluations are tied solely to departmental metrics, they will continue to protect their silos. When you align their focus around collective business success and shared corporate Rocks, they will start acting like a unified, cohesive team that is ready to run a highly valuable, exit-ready business.