When you landed here, I bet you were thinking something along the lines of, “I’ve never even heard of an integrator!” and I don’t blame you. But I bet you’ve heard of a COO (Chief Operating Officer), right? You’ve definitely heard of a CEO. If you landed on this page, my bet is that you are a CEO at heart.

At the top of every business, there is a visionary (think of that CEO) and an integrator (COO). The visionary, just like the word sounds, holds the vision. The big ideas, the dreams, the goals. That’s you. But the dreams can only get you so far. That’s where the integrator comes in. An Integrator is the person who is the tie-breaker, the glue for the organization, holds everything together, and is the steady force in the organization.

It’s always been just me, why can’t I be both?

Visionaries and Integrators are dynamic duos. Typically visionaries are the entrepreneurial founder of a company, so I get why it’s scary to bring someone else in. But being a visionary has very specific qualities, and an integrator will only help you stay in your zone of genius. The Visionary/Integrator relationship is a two-piece puzzle. Even the most inspiring Visionaries cannot do it all, and the ideal Integrator will fill the void, seal the gap and complete the winning formula.

An integrator is the key to achieving a unity of effort in your business. Their role is to handle the nonroutine and provide a map through essential functions. Big decisions and small, an integrator is the driving force behind it all.

okay i’m sold…what should I be looking for?

A typical integrator has most of the following characteristics. They are a great executor, a great manager, are good at holding people accountable, and create consistency and prioritization. He or she unfortunately has to say no a lot, is accused of being a pessimist and is typically the bearer of bad news in the organization. While you are a big thinker and have lots of great ideas, the integrator might have to say no a lot, but provides direction and clarity to your big-picture thoughts.