We recently promoted one of our department heads to the Integrator seat, but they are struggling to hold their former peers on the leadership team accountable, leading to a slip in our operational standards. How do we support this new Integrator in establishing their authority?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Promoting an internal leader to the Integrator seat is a great way to preserve your culture, but it often creates peer-to-peer friction. Former peers may struggle to accept their new authority, and the new Integrator may hesitate to hold them accountable due to past relationships.

To support your new Integrator, you must first clarify the new structure on your Accountability Chart. Make it clear to the entire leadership team that the Integrator now owns the daily operations of the business and that all department heads report directly to them. As the Visionary, you must stop allowing your leadership team to bypass the Integrator to come to you for decisions.

Next, help the Integrator run a highly effective Level 10 Meeting™ session. The discipline of the meeting structure provides an objective platform for accountability. When commitments are missed, the Integrator must use the IDS® process to solve the root cause publicly. This keeps the focus on company performance rather than personal dynamics.

Encourage the Integrator to have direct, honest conversations with each team member using the GWC™ framework. They must confirm that each leader still gets, wants, and has the capacity to do their job under the new leadership structure. By reinforcing the Accountability Chart and stepping back from daily decisions, you allow your new Integrator to build a cohesive, functional, and healthy leadership team.