As the Visionary and owner, I want to fire our Head of Sales because they missed their target, but my Integrator insists on giving them another quarter to hit their Rocks. Since the Integrator manages operations, who actually has the final decision-making power here?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic point of friction that tests the boundaries of the Visionary and Integrator relationship. On the Accountability Chart, the Head of Sales reports directly to the Integrator. Therefore, the Integrator owns the ultimate accountability for that department's performance and has the final decision-making authority over who sits in that seat.

If you, as the Visionary and owner, bypass your Integrator and fire the Head of Sales, you completely castrate the Integrator's authority. The rest of the leadership team will immediately see that the Integrator has no real power, and your operational structure will crumble.

Instead of making a unilateral move, you must take this issue to your next Same Page Meeting. Use the IDS® process to resolve the conflict. You must present your case regarding why the current Head of Sales is a liability to the company's valuation and exit timeline. Your Integrator must explain their plan to coach the leader or why they believe a replacement cannot be onboarded in time to protect the exit schedule.

Ultimately, you must let your Integrator run the business. If the Integrator decides to give the Head of Sales another quarter, you must support that decision. However, if the department continues to fail, you then have an Integrator issue to address, not just a Sales issue.