Our leadership team meetings have turned into territorial battles where each executive is fiercely protecting their own department's budget and resources instead of focusing on what is best for the entire company. How do we shift their focus back to the bigger picture?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When leadership team members act as protective department heads rather than company leaders, your execution stalls. You must shift their focus from defending their personal territory to driving the overall success of the business.

To resolve this, you must implement the Yes to Strategy and Structure pillar of Our Charter. Remind your executives that when they enter a leadership team meeting, they must leave their department hats at the door and put on their leadership hats.

Review your V/TO as a team to ground everyone in your shared 1-Year Plan and 3-Year Picture. Make it clear that their primary responsibility is the collective health of the entire organization, not just their individual departments.

During your weekly Level 10 Meetings, use the IDS process to solve issues based on what is best for the overall business, not what is easiest for one department. If a leader continues to fight for resources at the expense of others, they are violating your Core Values.

Update your Accountability Chart to make cross-functional collaboration a key role for every executive seat. When leaders are measured on company-wide goals rather than siloed department budgets, the territorial battles will stop.