If you haven’t read my previous blogs about Visionaries and Integrators, please take a moment to read them first to get essential context for this article:

• Visionaries and Integrators - Part 1: Why Both are Essential
• Visionaries and Integrators - Part 2: What is a Visionary?

When you have created your Accountability Chart, you will clearly see the need for an Integrator. This is the major function that all major functions report to, and every organization must have one. In some companies, this person is known as the President, COO, General Manager, or Chief of Staff – the title doesn’t matter, but the role is essential.

One of the most powerful EOS^® tools is the Accountability Chart. It’s powerful because it crystallizes the right structure and illustrates all available seats in your organization. In addition, it clarifies who reports to who and who is accountable for what.

All that said, it also illuminates the Visionary and Integrator roles sitting atop the major functions of your business. An organization has a Visionary about 50 percent of the time, and it must have an Integrator 100 percent of the time.

In an entrepreneurial company, the roles of Visionary and Integrator are an essential part of the organization, no matter how big or how small. The Visionary and the Integrator couldn’t be more different in terms of how they think and problem-solve. However, when their individual Unique Ability^® is correctly matched together and they are working toward the same business goals, the results can be exciting.

The Visionary entrepreneur’s passion, drive, and creativity are the key elements that help launch a business and fuel a company’s growth. But when a company is growing, the Visionary entrepreneur can start to feel swamped with the overwhelming workload, and their momentum begins to stall and sputter. Every great Visionary hits this threshold.

Most people would say that consensus is a wonderful thing. When everyone agrees, there will be no battles and the project will go on without a hitch, right? Unfortunately, no.

In his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni says, “Consensus is horrible. I mean, if everyone really agrees on something and consensus comes about quickly and naturally, well that’s terrific. But that isn’t how it usually works, and so consensus becomes an attempt to please everyone.”

"I'm not sure I'm the right person to run this company."

As I started the EOS^® process with a marketing agency, the CEO told his leadership team that he wasn't sure that he was the right person to run the business. He gave everyone full permission to speak up at any time during their exercise if they thought he wasn't the right person.

It was clear that he was anxious. He wanted to do the right thing for the team and the business, and he didn't want any elephants in the room.

This CEO was unusual—not because of his doubts, but because of his honesty.