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Visionary & Integrator — The Ultimate Business Power Couple.
150 Plays10 months ago
In this episode, I am excited to dive deep into the crucial roles of visionaries and integrators in a business. Visionaries, often the CEO, are the dreamers who set the business's direction, while integrators are the master implementers who execute these visions.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The Role of Visionaries including their traits, challenges they face, and the importance of focus.
- The Role of Integrators and how they make visions a reality by managing day-to-day operations.
- The importance of recognizing and addressing challenges for both roles.
- The Dynamics between Visionaries and Integrators and how together, they create a winning formula for success.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Aim
00:00:00
Speaker
You're listening to the See You's Wingwoman podcast.
00:00:05
Speaker
I'm Olivia Jenkins, your host and virtual coach, helping you scale your brand to cult-like status. Since 2019, I've helped over 100 clients generate in excess of $45 million in revenue. And now it's time for me to share my tips, tricks and strategies to help you supercharge your growth. I'm here to help you step into your power to develop a bulletproof strategy and growth mindset to match. Consider me your secret weapon to scale. Let's get started.
Visionaries vs Integrators: Dynamics Explained
00:00:35
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to the CEO's Wing Woman Podcast, the ultimate growth mindset podcast for ambitious CEOs wanting to start, grow and scale cult brands. I am so excited to be diving into this topic today. It is one of my favorite topics to talk about. At OJC, we are fortunate enough to work with many visionary leaders and I'm thrilled to share insights from this experience as I absolutely love working with their CEO style.
00:01:03
Speaker
Given I grew up in a global natural skincare brand, my exposure to visionary CEOs actually started from a very young age as my mother was one of the most visionary women that I know. And so I quickly became very familiar with the CEO style growing up as a result of attending business meetings, seminars and expos with her over the years and then going on to work in the business at a later date. So I feel like I had a very good grounding with this from a very young age. So
00:01:31
Speaker
I'm excited to take you through this today. You may have heard about the idea of a visionary and integrator before, as it is a common theme in one of my favorite books called Rocket Fuel. However, today we're going to deep dive on what a visionary and an integrator is, including their characteristics, their strengths, but also the typical challenges that each one of these personality types or CEO types will face
00:01:58
Speaker
in their roles in a real-life situation.
Roles and Importance in Business
00:02:01
Speaker
So we're going to learn more about how they complement each other and some real-life examples from you as well that I've noticed over the years working with different CEOs that have either a visionary personality or they have integrators in their business. And we're going to understand how to communicate for the better so that you're able to leverage this dynamic in your business for maximum results.
00:02:23
Speaker
So let's get started and let's set the scene on why the role of an integrator and a visionary is so important in a business. From the perspective of the business coach, the roles of integrators and visionaries are an essential part of business, no matter how big or small.
00:02:40
Speaker
And that is because in a partnership, there is generally a visionary that's identified. So we will generally identify the visionary as either the owner, co-owner and founder. They are the three most common places that you'll find a visionary leader or CEO. The reason that it's often a founder as well, just to put this into perspective, is the founder is generally the visionary because they are the person that come up with the business idea and concept. So
00:03:08
Speaker
They've actually set the business up to be structured in a particular way or be focused on achieving a particular
Characteristics of Visionaries and Integrators
00:03:15
Speaker
goal. So that is the reason why most often the visionary is the owner or the co-owner or the founder. The integrator is often the CEO. It could be the general manager. It could also be someone in the business like a business manager who is responsible for the day-to-day execution and essentially running behind the CEO or the co-founder or the founder.
00:03:37
Speaker
and tidying the chaos. And I mean that from a very good place. It's just that visionaries tend to have lots of different ideas at any given time. And generally, what the integrator does is run behind the CEO or the co-founder, the visionary in the business, and execute the ideas or work out which things are perfect for execution now, and perhaps which things we can wait until later on. And that'd be a better idea for the business. So
00:04:03
Speaker
The integrator and the visionary could not be more different in terms of how they think and how they problem-solve. However, when you get this dynamic right and when the individual qualities of a visionary and an integrator are correctly matched together and they're working towards the same set of business goals, the results can be incredible.
00:04:24
Speaker
And I've seen this many, many times throughout my career, both in the consulting business and also previously in my corporate career, where I was a general manager and a textbook integrator, hence the CEO's wingwoman, and became very familiar with this dynamic and how powerful it can be when you get it right.
00:04:43
Speaker
So in order to maintain harmony among all the different key areas of the business, I believe every business needs an integrator. And like I said, the integrator can have many other titles. It doesn't really matter what you call the integrator. It could be a business manager. It could be a general manager.
00:05:00
Speaker
It could be a COO, but essentially the right integrator for a business is the person who has the ability to manage daily issues as they come up and the ability to integrate all of the major functions of the business, whether that's sales, marketing, operations, finance, into one harmonious group. So put simply, the integrator is essentially the glue that holds everything together in the business.
00:05:26
Speaker
Now, on the flip side of that, visionaries are generally the dreamers in the organization. So they are the person that's always coming up with new ideas. They are literally like an idea factory. They are naturally the creative thinker. They're very good at problem solving as well. And they tend to operate more on emotion a lot of the time than on logic. And they really value culture. So when you think about a visionary, they are people that have
00:05:54
Speaker
Big ideas is often a lot of creativity, and they really thrive on emotion and leading from a gut instinct. So they often have a feeling about something or they'll have the ability to spot a trend and they just feel like there's a pot of gold if we pursue this trend. So it's very common for visionaries having more of that emotional approach.
Introducing Olivia Jenkins' Business Academy
00:06:14
Speaker
And it's not a bad thing. It's just the way that they are made up. That is their DNA.
00:06:19
Speaker
Whereas an integrator is much more likely to focus on logic to make their decisions. And they also have a very logical approach to everything that they do in business. So you can already see, as I'm talking through the differences between the two, why you need the two together as two puzzle pieces that fit together, as opposed to just having a visionary, or as opposed to just having an integrator. They have very different skill sets. And when you put them together, the results can be magical. Sorry.
00:06:49
Speaker
Let's dive deep on each style now. So want to spend some time chatting through the visionary personality or the visionary type so you can really understand more about them. And then we're also going to talk about the integrator as well so I can explain a little bit more around the integrator personality.
00:07:05
Speaker
And as I'm chatting through these, I'd love for you guys to think about which one you might be. And you may find that there are elements of you in both. But I'm really curious, after you listen to this episode, send me a DM on Instagram, and I'd love to know whether you think that you're a visionary, or whether you think that you're an integrator. So make sure you reach out.
00:07:23
Speaker
So, a visionary, like I said, is an idea factory. They are always coming up with new ideas. They're generally entrepreneurs, they're creators, they're founders, and externally, they're often referred to titles like owner, founder, or CEO. Sorry.
00:07:39
Speaker
Visionaries have the unique ability to see the future. And I've seen this many times where they're so connected to the market that they're incredible at driving innovation. And this is something that I can say hand on heart across the consulting business as well. All of the visionary CEOs that we work with in the business are definitely very connected to the market, and they love tinkering with new product ideas and thinking about innovation with everything that they do.
00:08:04
Speaker
They're also very good at solving problems. And that is a very handy skill to have in business is the ability to solve problems. And this is something that a visionary is generally very, very good at. And this is also linked into the fact that they're really passionate about their vision for the business.
00:08:19
Speaker
So in terms of how you can tell if you're a visionary, these are some of the things that I think are most obvious when you think about a visionary personality. So one, you have a knack for solving big complex problems. So visionary CEOs are the go-to problem solvers when it comes to dealing with complex challenges. Number two, you're a constant idea generator. So visionary leaders are always coming up with fresh and innovative ideas and they're like idea factories.
00:08:49
Speaker
3. You're a natural-born leader. So visionary CEOs are not just bosses. They're inspirational leaders, and they can really rally their team together and get their team to work with a shared vision and lead with charisma. 4. You've got an unshakable positive attitude.
00:09:07
Speaker
Visionaries are eternal optimists. They keep the morale high, even when there's tough times in the business. And they use that positivity as a driving force to motivate their teams as well. So that is very common with a visionary personality. And number 5, you're a master at crafting a compelling vision.
00:09:26
Speaker
Visionary CEOs are the architects of the company's future, and they have a unique talent for painting a really inspiring picture of where the business is headed. And this is part of the reason that they're so good at leading a team as well, is because they can see in front of them exactly what the vision is for the business and where they're going. And they have a unique ability to be able to share this backwards to the rest of the team and say, Guys,
00:09:50
Speaker
This is the vision. This is where we're heading and get everybody on board so that they're working as one team with one goal. Now, like all things, there is good and bad. And, you know, there's positive and negative, and it's two sides of the same coin. So there are definitely challenges that come with being a visionary. So some of those challenges are, if you are a visionary,
00:10:11
Speaker
it can be difficult to stay focused. So you might find yourself getting bored quickly and you could bounce around from one idea to the next, which sometimes can take you a little bit off track if you're not careful. So this is something to definitely keep an eye on.
00:10:26
Speaker
The other thing is sometimes there can be too many ideas and that can actually lead to a bit of overwhelm sometimes because you've got so many options and you've got so many ideas that it can be overwhelming because there's just so much to choose from at any given time.
Challenges and Criticisms in Roles
00:10:41
Speaker
So that is something to think about also.
00:10:44
Speaker
The other thing is organizational whiplash, which is very common with businesses that are led by a visionary. Because you have so many ideas that you want to be executed quickly, this can sometimes lead to a bit of chaos and frustration for the business because they're not able to keep up at times. So this can happen as well. And I would say that this is particularly common in health, beauty, fashion and lifestyle industries, because they are very fast paced industries. And it is very common to decide on
00:11:12
Speaker
a campaign idea or decide on something that's going to be happening in the business. And then five minutes later, that decision has to change for whatever reason. So there is definitely some industry quirks that come with being in one of those spaces. But the organizational whiplash is really about having so many ideas that you want to be executed quickly, that sometimes the rest of the team can't keep up.
00:11:34
Speaker
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00:11:55
Speaker
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00:12:21
Speaker
Now, with being a visionary, sometimes one of the challenges can also be difficulty with details because, generally speaking, visionaries are not detail-orientated people. So they really like coming up with a big picture, and this is where we're going, and this is the vision. But they would prefer not to be in the nitty-gritty of the details a lot of the time. So that is something to think about as well.
00:12:43
Speaker
And really paying close attention as well to the greater team. So with a visionary personality, often, you know, quite inspired by personal development and growth mindset and improving themselves, it's really important as well as a visionary to also think about developing the team and making sure that you're leveraging the abilities and the skills that you have in your team so that they can grow with you. So that gives you a bit of a rundown on the visionary CEO.
00:13:10
Speaker
Let's now talk about the integrator now i am a big fan of the integrator also i identify as an integrator and i think it's been one of the most important things in regards to running the consulting business and hence the name this year is when women because.
00:13:26
Speaker
I am the integrator for all of my clients in their business. So when you think about what an integrator is, an integrator in its simplest form is the organizational glue. So their job as the integrator is to make it happen. Now this person might also be known as a general manager, business manager, a COO, but essentially integrators work with a visionary to make their dream a reality. So to bring their vision to life and
00:13:56
Speaker
At the core, they integrate all of the major functions in the business. They manage the day-to-day issues. They work with people, processes, product, priorities and they pull everything together to make sure that the vision can be executed.
00:14:11
Speaker
So when you think about the integrator traits and what a common trait shared with integrators, one of the things that they're really good at is pinpointing and expressing problems. So integrators excel at recognizing and clearly communicating challenges within the business. They are also very good at problem solving, but they come through the lens of being very logical in the approach and identifying the root cause so that they can fix it.
00:14:39
Speaker
They are also the person in the business who tends to turn the best ideas into reality. So you'll notice that I said they're the best ideas into reality. And the reason I highlighted best is because, love them, however, visionaries do have lots and lots of ideas and they may all be good ideas, but it may just be that we can't do them all at once.
00:15:02
Speaker
or let's do these ideas now because they will bear the most fruit and we will push back some of these ideas to a later date when it's more strategic to execute those ideas. So the visionary and the integrator work really well in this regard because the visionary comes up with the ideas and then the integrator says these are all great ideas let's do this one first and that one later and so they turn those ideas into reality.
00:15:27
Speaker
They are very action orientated sorry integrators are the person that's running in the business they are running to the printer they are getting stuff done and they take all of those brilliant concepts generated by the visionaries and they actually turn them into tangible results.
00:15:43
Speaker
They are also often great managers. So when you think about the business and the different styles of leadership, the visionary CEO tends to be more of the leader within the business because they're driving the vision and they're getting everybody motivated and on board with the vision.
00:16:00
Speaker
Whereas the integrator is more managing the detail and the execution. I often think about the integrator as the manager and the visionary as the leader. With an integrator, they are effective managers. They're very good at ensuring the day-to-day operations run really smoothly. They help the team to collaborate together, and projects are generally executed flawlessly under the integrator's control or watch.
00:16:28
Speaker
they are often realists at heart. So where I said that visionaries are eternal optimists, I would say that the integrator is the eternal realist. And they bring a dose of practicality to the visionary dreams. So they really balance that optimism with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. And this is really important, because if you're listening to this podcast, and you're thinking, Oh my gosh, that's me, if you're a general manager at the moment, or you're in a position where you're an integrator in the business,
Keys to Successful Collaboration
00:16:58
Speaker
It can be a bit of a heavy thing. I've had this experience in the past coming from a general management background where you are the realist and you are the person who is bringing practicality. And sometimes it can make you appear like a bit of a negative Nazi. And it's not that you're a negative Nazi, it's just that you have a realistic view on what can be achieved with the budget or with the timeline. And that's absolutely fine. But I do just want to highlight that if you're listening to this and you identify as being an integrator,
00:17:28
Speaker
Don't be too concerned if sometimes you feel like you are a bit of a negative Nancy because it comes with the territory. And that's just part of being an integrator. And it's actually a very important and valuable skill to be able to see things as they are and to be able to execute them. So I just wanted to highlight that as well.
00:17:47
Speaker
Now, as the integrator, the last thing that I want to highlight here is you're the one who's executing the grand vision that the visionary have. And integrators are the driving force behind turning the visionary's idea into action. And they ensure that the organization follows through on the strategic plan. Because if we have a strategic plan, and it's not executed, if you create a strategic plan, and it sits in the drawer,
00:18:12
Speaker
it will become a dream, but it will never come into reality. So the integrator is often the person that forces, lovingly, forces the organization to follow through on that strategic plan. Now, as I said earlier with the visionary, there are also challenges that come with being an integrator. And I've covered one of those already just a moment ago when I was talking about how sometimes an integrator can be viewed as a bit of a negative Nancy. So one of the challenges is that often the integrator
00:18:42
Speaker
can come across as though they're being critical and questioning every idea, opportunity, and potential solution that the visionary has. And again, it's not coming from a place of them wanting to be pessimistic, but just because they are trying to pad out in their mind, what's going to be the best idea for me to run with here? And sometimes that is
00:19:02
Speaker
you know, there's an important process here of actually being able to challenge things and ask questions. So if you're a visionary and you've got an integrator in your business, this is really important to know from their perspective as well, why they're doing that and what they're actually intending to achieve through that, because I think that intention piece is super important.
00:19:19
Speaker
The other thing is that sometimes the integrator has to make the tough decisions because they are holding the team accountable and often that means that you have to be the bad guy and you have to hold space to be the bad guy at times. If deadlines are not being met or performance is not where it needs to be, it's often the integrator that's having these conversations. So that sometimes means that you have to make tough decisions and that can be a challenge as well.
00:19:45
Speaker
The other thing is having too much on your plate. So integrators often have a million things to do. And that can be quite overwhelming at times to have a never ending to do list of all the things that need to be done. And so it's really important to remember as well with being an integrator, often you can't do everything at once.
00:20:05
Speaker
We know that's not possible. We know that's not realistic at times to do absolutely everything. But really zoom in on what is the 20% of the tasks that are going to generate 80% of the results. So really focusing on quality over quantity because I find at times, being an integrator myself,
00:20:26
Speaker
It is easy to fall into the trap of just ticking and flicking and getting all the small things done. And then feeling like you got to the end of the day and you didn't tick off the big things, right? So be really focused on setting some very clear expectations at the start of every day of these are the three most important things that I want to get done today. And just know that your to do list is ever evolving.
00:20:48
Speaker
you are going to tick things off your to-do list and I will promise you there will probably be 10 things to take their spot. So don't feel like you're on this never-ending pursuit of getting your to-do list to zero or getting your email inbox to ground zero because it is never-ending and that is part of enjoying the journey and not being fixated on getting to a particular number.
00:21:10
Speaker
The other thing that can sometimes happen with integrators is they put their heart and soul into being an integrator and they're constantly going over and above to work hard and do as much as they possibly can because a lot of the time the integrator and the business
00:21:26
Speaker
feels as though it's their own business. And that's coming from a good place. They view the business as though it's their own. They care that much. They care about the success of the business. And with that, sometimes what can happen is if that work goes unnoticed, or it doesn't get as much praise as what the integrator was hoping for,
00:21:43
Speaker
There's this sense of underappreciation that can be felt from an integrator. So this is something to consider in the dynamic and in the relationship of how you can work together to make sure that your communication styles are matched. And if you're a visionary listening to this podcast, really making sure that you understand how you can work with your
00:22:02
Speaker
integrated in the business to make them feel appreciated and to really focus on that praise as well because often it's actually not financially driven it's driven from a place of wanting to have gratitude and have praise so that's something to think about.
00:22:18
Speaker
And last but not least, constant pressure is another challenge that can sometimes be faced by the integrator because often the integrator is doing the execution or is responsible for the execution. And so they understand how long things can take and
00:22:34
Speaker
what is an appropriate amount of resourcing for a vision to come to life or for a task to be completed etc so if there is a dynamic between the visionary and the integrator where maybe and again coming from a good place maybe the visionary is wanting the ideas to be executed faster.
00:22:52
Speaker
then that can put the integrator under a lot of pressure to get everything executed. However, the integrator often has a particular standard that they're wanting to execute those ideas to as well. So that's another thing to think about in the dynamic between the two and something to focus on in order to really leverage that dynamic and that relationship. So that is a bit of a breakdown on both.
00:23:16
Speaker
What I want to dive into now is the dynamic between the two, because we've broken down each type, and we understand now who a visionary is, what their traits are, what their challenges are, who an integrator is, what their traits are and what their challenges are. But now I want to dive into how they can work together.
00:23:37
Speaker
So one of the things that I said earlier in the episode is that the visionary integrator relationship is literally like two puzzle pieces that go together, right? So those of you playing at home, if you've put together a puzzle before, you know what I'm talking about, you can definitely tell when two puzzle pieces fit together, right? And this relationship is no different.
Letting Go and Growth for Visionaries
00:23:58
Speaker
So even the most inspiring visionaries cannot do it all.
00:24:03
Speaker
And the ideal integrator will fill that void and seal that gap so they can create a really winning formula or dynamic between the two of them. So the reason you need both is because in a business, you need to have vision, but you also need to have action. So if you have a vision, but you don't have any action, you just have a dream.
00:24:26
Speaker
If you have action but no vision, a lot of the time you're working in a way that's probably not that productive and not the best use of resources because you don't ultimately know where you're going or why you're going there. So that would be the equivalent of jumping into the car, starting to drive down the road and driving aimlessly until you run out of fuel. Eventually you're going to run out of fuel, you're going to run out of resources in your business and you won't be clear on where you're going or how you're going to get there.
00:24:53
Speaker
Sorry, no one is better than the other. And I just want to highlight that as well. It's not better to be a visionary. It's not better to be an integrator. The whole point of the visionary integrated dynamic is that you're stronger together. And that's really what I want to illustrate with this podcast as well, is that they're really powerful when you put them together.
00:25:13
Speaker
Sorry, like I just said, without an integrator, you often end up with a vision that's just a dream if you don't have the person to help you execute them. But equally, without a visionary, the business often struggles to know where they're going, and they don't have a vision or a dream to execute in the first place. So you can see how without both, a business can't really rise to its full potential. And for a visionary,
00:25:35
Speaker
the right integrator will be the most valuable asset and vice versa. However, it is very rare to find one person that can fulfill both roles because a lot of the time, while you may have a bit of both,
00:25:49
Speaker
you will tend to be a lot stronger in either a visionary or an integrator personality. So it's important to know that you most likely are going to need two, the visionary and the integrator together. So in order for this relationship to succeed, there's a few crucial parts to think about. And
00:26:08
Speaker
As we know, having a great working relationship in business in general is vital, but in particular, between the visionary and the integrator, because you want to have a healthy amount of tension that exists between the two, but not too much tension.
00:26:23
Speaker
That needs to be a mutual respect that needs to be a communication style that they share together and that they understand it is very normal for the integrator and the visionary to buy heads a little bit because they have different views and it's inevitable that conflicts are going to arise when there's differences in opinion and.
00:26:45
Speaker
A lot of the time, the intent is positive. It's just that the visionary has one view, and the integrator might have a slightly different view, and they need to work through that together. So it's really important to remember, if you are experiencing conflict with your visionary integrator dynamic, it's important to keep the communication style respectful and open, and really respect each other's different opinions and the working process. So in order for you to really leverage each other's talents, skills and strengths,
00:27:14
Speaker
you need to be able to work harmoniously together and then you'll be an unstoppable force. So for me in the past, having been an integrator for my entire career and now in the consulting business as well, the biggest things for me is the communication piece. Because if you have effective communication with the visionary or with the integrator, you can get through anything.
00:27:37
Speaker
That respect is there. You both have the same intention, and you can have a shared communication style. You can work through things. And like I said earlier, it is very normal to have conflicts, and that's OK, especially when you're challenging things, but to really keep the relationship as respectful and make sure that you continue to prioritize the trust in the relationship.
00:27:57
Speaker
In my experience, I have personally found that the closer the relationship between the two of you, the better. And so I had this conversation recently with a client who hired a general manager in her business, and she is extremely visionary. She is absolutely incredible in terms of what she's been able to achieve in a very short space of time. And one of the biggest things that I suggested is to share an office space.
00:28:24
Speaker
especially in the beginning, because an integrator really needs to understand how the visionary thinks in order to lead the team and the business in a way that the visionary is happy with. And equally, the visionary needs to have an element of control still, because a lot of the time, it can be very difficult for a visionary to let go. And we'll talk about that in a minute. And so having someone there, having the integrator there in person with them, there's a lot of opportunity for them to
00:28:51
Speaker
be exposed to each other, and the way that each person is working, right? So the visionary is also going to build confidence, watching and observing the integrator, that actually they have got this, and I do trust them. And they are doing a lot of good things in the business. And that's sort of how the confidence is built as well. So that's something to really focus on is spending as much time together as possible, setting the expectation up front, like all new employee relationships, and having dedicated times to catch up
00:29:20
Speaker
every week or every morning, even if you need to, for a daily huddle to make sure that you are always on the same page. Now, just to double back on what I was chatting with you about a moment ago about the Letting Go piece and the Control piece, a lot of the time, visionaries can find it very hard to let go because
00:29:39
Speaker
their business is their baby, and they have a very particular way about how they do things and how they lead the team. And so it can be a bit of a transition, right? Like all things, it's new, you might have an integrator in your business that's just joined you. And there's a bit of an integration process that needs to take place with that as well in terms of handing
00:29:59
Speaker
that integrator role over to someone else. And for a visionary, that can be a little bit scary, because it feels like you're handing the keys to the castle over to someone, and that can be sometimes quite difficult for a visionary to do. So the visionary likes the idea of being able to stay across everything. But the reality is, there will come a day when the business has grown to a certain size, and it will be very difficult for the visionary to remain in full control over everything.
00:30:29
Speaker
Right. And I've seen this happen many, many times where business has scaled very quickly and it gets to a certain point and the growth stops. And a lot of the time, the reason that that's happening is because the visionary is desperately trying to hold onto everything and have that control because they want to be across everything.
Readiness for Growth and Strategic Planning
00:30:46
Speaker
You know, it could stem from, you know, a bit of trust issues and, you know, being burnt in the past, whatever the reasons are. But essentially there's that constriction that takes place because they want to control everything.
00:30:57
Speaker
But it needs to be a certain size for that to happen, right? So there will come a day when the business comes to that fork on the road where you decide to either allow your business to continue to grow with the right people and the right seats and the correct infrastructure in place so that you can have a manageable workload that is your highest and best purpose as a CEO. Direct your attention to key business strategic objectives and focus on new product development and innovation.
00:31:27
Speaker
if that's important to you and you enjoy that. Or the alternative is you choose to stay in control and you restrict the growth of the business to a level that you can remain across at all, but with an overwhelming workload. No focus on strategic objectives because you're too busy micromanaging employees and spending zero time on the important things in the business, such as new product development or innovation.
00:31:54
Speaker
Sorry, if you're currently in that stage of business, does that sound familiar? And if it does, the next steps for you are to determine if you meet the four readiness factors, map out the IDO integrator profile, and then begin your search for your integrator match.
00:32:12
Speaker
Sorry, if you'd like more info on that, I highly recommend that you go and check out the book Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman. It is incredible and I swear by it. It is a book that every CEO needs to have in their bookshelf or virtual bookshelf if you're an audio person.
00:32:28
Speaker
But if you already have an integrator in your business and you're listening to this right now and thinking, actually, that has been me and I've really wanted to stay in control, that's okay. It's important to acknowledge it so you're aware of it and you can bring it into your awareness and observe it from the outside looking in. But take the steps to start thinking about
00:32:47
Speaker
how you can put a plan together that allows your business to grow with the right people in the right seats. And that is the first place to start. So beyond having a strategic plan in the first place, because that's really important, do you have the right people in your business right now in the right seats? Do you have the correct infrastructure in place? Do you know what is the highest and best purpose for you as a CEO? And what to focus on in terms of your key business strategic objectives?
00:33:15
Speaker
So ask yourself some of those questions, sit down with the integrator in the business and work through it together and put together a plan. Now, if you need help with any of these things, absolutely reach out. This is the bread and butter of what we do at Olivia Jenkins Consulting, and we can absolutely help you to put together a strategic plan. Or if you're looking for leadership coaching, that is also something that I offer as well. But absolutely, as next steps, sit down and have a meeting together and go through some of these action items and put together a plan.
00:33:45
Speaker
So, to recap, I just want to take you through one more time the difference between the visionary and the integrator. So, visionaries solve issues and integrators identify them. Visionaries generate ideas and integrators execute them. Visionaries are often better leaders and integrators are often better managers.
00:34:06
Speaker
Visionaries are often optimistic. Integrators are often realistic. Visionaries like working on the business and integrators like working in the business. Visionaries create the vision. Integrators execute the vision.
00:34:23
Speaker
Sorry, you can see why this is one of my favorite topics to talk about. I feel like I could talk about integrators and visionaries until the cows come home. But hopefully this podcast has been helpful in terms of explaining exactly what they are and how you can leverage your
00:34:39
Speaker
unique skills, whether you're a visionary or an integrator, to be more successful in your business, or how to leverage the relationship between the two of you if you already have an integrator in your business, how to leverage the relationship between the two of you to generate the best possible results for your business.
00:34:57
Speaker
Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. Again, I've absolutely loved leading this episode with you. If you enjoyed this topic and talking about visionaries and integrators, leadership is one of the topics that we deep dive on inside the Business Academy. So you can stay in your highest and best power as a CEO.
00:35:16
Speaker
If you haven't checked out the Business Academy yet, I encourage you to jump online and head to www.OliviaJenkins.co or you can send me a DM so we can explore ways to work together in 2024.
00:35:31
Speaker
It is going to be an incredible cohort kicking off inside the Business Academy in January next year. And I am super excited to take the first group of business owners through that program that I put my heart and soul into this January 2024. So as always, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast so you can be the first to know when new episodes go live.
00:35:53
Speaker
And I would absolutely love for you to leave a review as well if you enjoyed today's episode and even send it to a friend that you have in business. If you have people in your world that you think would benefit from this episode, please share it with them and let them know that this podcast exists so that they can get as much benefit out of it as you have today.
Closing and Contact Information
00:36:12
Speaker
Thank you so much. And until next time, I hope you have an incredible week and I'm looking forward to recording another episode and sharing it with you soon.
00:36:20
Speaker
Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. If you love today's show, be sure to let me know by leaving a five-star review. You can also connect with me via Instagram at OliviaJenkins.co or learn more on how we can work together at www.OliviaJenkins.co. Have an amazing week and I can't wait to connect with you in the next episode.