Ask ten business owners what an Integrator™ does and you’ll get ten different answers. Some will say “a COO”, others “a general manager”, and a few will say “the person who makes the founder’s ideas actually happen”. They’re all partly right.
If your business runs on EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System®), the Integrator is one of the most important seats on your Accountability Chart™. People often call this the EOS Integrator seat. Here’s what it really involves, how to tell if you need one, and how to hire the right person, whether full-time or fractional.
What is an Integrator?
EOS Worldwide describes the Integrator as the role that harmoniously integrates the major functions of the business and executes the Visionary’s ideas.
In plain terms, the Integrator:
- runs the leadership team and holds its members accountable;
- turns the company’s vision into a plan, and the plan into results;
- resolves friction between departments, such as sales and operations;
- owns the business plan, the profit and loss, and the operating rhythm;
- acts as the “tiebreaker” when the leadership team can’t agree.
The Integrator is a seat, not a title. On a business card, the person might be the COO, General Manager, President or Managing Director. What matters is what they own on the Accountability Chart.
The Visionary/Integrator pairing
Most entrepreneurial businesses start with a founder who’s full of ideas. EOS calls this person the Visionary: focused on big ideas, culture, key relationships and major strategic problems.
The Integrator balances the Visionary. Where the Visionary generates ideas, the Integrator filters, prioritizes and executes them. EOS describes this two-seat pairing as Rocket Fuel®, also the title of the book by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters that explores the relationship in depth.
A good pairing doesn’t mean the two people think alike. It works because they’re different, they respect each other, and they’re clear about who owns what.
Signs you might need an Integrator
Not every business needs a dedicated Integrator straight away. These are common signs that it might be time:
- The founder is the bottleneck for most decisions.
- Great ideas keep getting started but rarely finished.
- Leadership team members report to the founder but aren’t held to clear numbers.
- Your Level 10 Meeting™ drifts, or doesn’t happen every week.
- Quarterly Rocks keep rolling over to the next quarter.
- The founder is tired of running the day-to-day and wants to spend more time on what they do best.
If several of these sound familiar, it’s worth having an honest conversation with your leadership team about the seat.
What the Integrator seat usually owns
Every business is different, but an Integrator seat on the Accountability Chart often lists roles like these:
- Lead, manage and hold the leadership team accountable (often shortened to LMA).
- Execute the business plan and hit the annual goals.
- Own the profit and loss.
- Integrate the major functions so they work together.
- Run the meeting rhythm, including the weekly Level 10 Meeting and quarterly planning.
Their Scorecard might include company-level numbers such as revenue against plan, gross margin, cash, and the percentage of Rocks completed each quarter.
Full-time or fractional Integrator?
A fractional Integrator works in your business part-time, often a set number of days a week or month, and usually serves more than one company. For a smaller business, it can be a practical way to get senior experience in the seat.
When a fractional Integrator can make sense
- Your business is too small to justify a full-time senior salary.
- You need an experienced operator quickly, perhaps after a departure.
- You want to test the seat before committing to a permanent hire.
- Your leadership team is small and the Integrator workload isn’t full-time yet.
When a full-time Integrator is the better fit
- The business is complex, with several departments to integrate.
- The Integrator needs to be visibly present to lead the team.
- You want long-term continuity and someone fully invested in one company.
There’s no single right answer. Some businesses start fractional and move to a full-time Integrator as they grow.
How to hire an Integrator
1. Define the seat with your Visionary
Write the five roles for the Integrator seat together. Agree what the Visionary keeps and what the Integrator owns. Unclear boundaries between these two seats are a common source of tension.
2. Put the real numbers and Rocks in the ad
Show candidates the Scorecard numbers the seat will own and one or two Rocks for the first 90 days. Experienced Integrators look for this detail, and it filters out candidates who only want the title.
3. Test for GWC™
Use GWC (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it) throughout the interview process:
- Get it: Do they understand what it means to integrate a business, and what working alongside a Visionary is really like?
- Want it: Do they genuinely want to run the business day to day, including the hard conversations?
- Capacity: Do they have the experience, judgement and time the seat needs?
4. Check Core Values fit
An Integrator who doesn’t share your Core Values will struggle to hold others accountable to them. Ask for specific stories that show each value in action.
5. Test the Visionary/Integrator relationship
Have the candidate spend real time with the Visionary. Discuss a live issue together and see how they work through it. Pay attention to respect, honesty and whether the candidate is willing to push back.
6. Ask about EOS experience, but don’t insist on it
EOS experience is a genuine advantage. A candidate who has run a Level 10 Meeting or set quarterly Rocks can contribute quickly. Still, a strong operator who gets the principles may learn the tools fast. Decide which matters more for your business.
Questions to ask Integrator candidates
- “Tell us about a time you disagreed with a founder or CEO. What happened?”
- “How have you held a peer or direct report accountable for a missed number?”
- “Walk us through how you’d run your first quarter in this seat.”
- “What would you need from the Visionary to succeed here?”
Find your Integrator
Whether you need a full-time or fractional Integrator, it helps to advertise where EOS-minded operators are already looking. You can post an Integrator role on EOS Jobs for US$99 (Standard) or US$199 (Premium, pinned to the top for 30 days); each ad runs for 30 days and is checked by a person before it goes live. If you’re an Integrator looking for your next seat, browse current roles for free. Want to know more about who we are? Read about EOS Jobs.
EOS Jobs is an independent job board and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by EOS Worldwide, LLC. EOS® and the Entrepreneurial Operating System® are registered trademarks of EOS Worldwide, LLC.