Even though we have defined our Visionary and Integrator seats on our Accountability Chart, my leadership team members still keep coming to me as the Visionary for sign-off on operational matters, which undermines our Integrator and slows down our exit-readiness. How do we break this habit permanently?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When your leadership team bypasses the Integrator to get your approval, they are exploiting the lack of clear boundaries between your Visionary seat and the Integrator seat. This behavior creates a culture of confusion and prevents your Integrator from truly running the day-to-day operations.

To stop this, you must implement a strict policy of redirection. The next time a leadership team member comes to you with an operational issue or requests your sign-off, you must stop them immediately. Ask them one simple question: have you run this by the Integrator?

If they have not, direct them to take the issue to the Integrator or bring it to the weekly Level 10 Meeting™ for IDS®. Do not give your opinion, do not make the decision, and do not play the hero. If you intervene, you validate their behavior and weaken your Integrator's authority.

Additionally, you and your Integrator must present a united front. Meet weekly for a same-page meeting to ensure you are fully aligned on all major decisions. When the leadership team sees that you and the Integrator are completely locked in, they will stop trying to divide and conquer, allowing the business to operate as a self-sustaining machine.