We have a solid leadership team running our functional departments, but we do not have a formal Integrator, and I am stuck acting as the default referee for every cross functional decision. How do we determine if we should promote an internal department head to the Integrator seat or hire an external candidate to run the day to day operations?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Operating without a dedicated Integrator creates a massive bottleneck, forcing the Visionary to play referee. To decide between an internal promotion and an external hire, you must start with the Accountability Chart. Define the exact five major responsibilities of your Integrator seat, which typically include running the business day to day, executing the business plan, and harmonizing the leadership team.

Next, use the GWC framework to evaluate your existing department heads. Do any of them truly get, want, and have the capacity for this specific seat? Getting it means having an innate feel for operational harmony. Wanting it means they genuinely want to manage people and processes, not just retain their functional authority. Having the capacity means they have the mental and conative bandwidth. Use the Kolbe A Index to test their conative alignment; a true Integrator usually requires strong Follow Thru and a balanced Quick Start to build systems and manage risk.

If an internal candidate checks every box, promote them. However, do not promote a great department head out of loyalty if they lack the capacity. If you lack a clear internal fit, look externally. When hiring externally, use a Kolbe C Index to map the conative requirements of the seat before you interview candidates. This objective data ensures you hire an operator who can integrate your existing team rather than a high priced strategist who will disrupt your operational execution.