We have a highly competent technical leader on our team who is great in their silo but stays completely silent during our Level 10 Meeting™ IDS® sessions, claiming they do not want to weigh in on other departments' issues because they lack context. How do we force this leader to actively participate in solving company-wide problems?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leaders stay silent during IDS® because they lack context, they are fundamentally misunderstanding their seat on the leadership team. On the Accountability Chart, they do not just represent their department. They are a leader of the entire organization first, and a department head second. Their silence is not polite boundary-keeping. It is a failure of leadership.

To break this pattern, the Integrator must address it directly. Start by having a one on one conversation outside the meeting. Remind them that they GWC™, or Get, Want, and have the Capacity for, their leadership seat. Part of that capacity is bringing their unique perspective to company-wide issues. Often, a technical leader has a highly analytical mind that can spot root causes of operational friction that others miss.

During the next Level 10 Meeting™, the facilitator should actively pull them into the discussion. Ask them directly, from a systems perspective, what do you see as the root cause of this issue, or how would you solve this if you were in charge of this department. Do not let them off the hook with a passive response. Over time, this builds the habit of thinking and speaking like a company owner rather than a siloed specialist. If they still refuse to engage, you have a GWC™ issue on your hands that needs to be addressed on your Issues List.