As the Visionary, I want to hire an aggressive, high-risk executive to our leadership team, but my Integrator wants a cautious, highly structured operational manager. This disagreement is stalling our hiring process. How do we align on the profile of our next leadership hire?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When the Visionary and Integrator clash over a leadership hire, it is usually because they are recruiting based on personal preference rather than the objective needs of the seat. To resolve this, you must take your personal biases out of the equation and focus on the Accountability Chart and the V/TO.

Start by reviewing the core roles of the vacant seat. What must this person accomplish to hit your one-year and three-year targets? If the seat is responsible for driving rapid, innovative growth, a higher-risk profile might be required. If the seat is responsible for stabilizing operations and building repeatable systems, a highly structured profile is the correct choice. Let the strategic goals of the business dictate the candidate profile, not your individual temperaments.

Next, use the Kolbe A Index to define the natural conative strengths needed for the seat. Do you need someone with a high Quick Start who excels in uncertainty, or someone with a high Follow Thru who designs robust systems? By establishing an objective Kolbe profile for the seat before you interview candidates, you and your Integrator can agree on the cognitive blueprint beforehand.

Once the criteria are set, run every candidate through your Core Values and the GWC test. The Integrator and Visionary must be on the same page before making the offer. If you cannot agree, the Integrator has final decision-making authority over the leadership team structure, but they must listen to your Visionary input to ensure the hire aligns with the long-term vision of the company.