Today we are wrapping up our series on creating your dream team by interviewing my lovely Operations Director Marieanna. We will find out what it is like to work with and support a visionary like me and the importance of us understanding each other so we can work together towards the company’s mission. 

Many times, visionaries have a difficult time grasping the fact that they can actually find someone who is invested in their mission and willing to work with them to bring it to fruition. 

An integrator doesn’t want to be the face or the visionary, they want to be there as a supporting member of the team, able to assist in building the dream. Whether it’s a virtual assistant who’s checking off boxes or a higher level strategic partner who is helping set the vision for three to five years, everyone should feel invested in the mission.

So, in order to properly build and lead a team, the visionary must come from a place of leading and helping their team members build. There is a big difference between leading versus managing and if you have a visionary who believes in their team members, they’ll be able to unlock potential that they didn’t even know existed.

It’s not just about making a hire and hoping that person stays. It’s about building a team and being willing to allow them to step into their potential, whether you have 1 person or 10 people on your team.

An Integrator vs Visionary 

According to Marieanna, one of the most challenging aspects of working with visionaries is dealing with their tendency to have urgent deadlines that were due yesterday. One of the biggest differences between visionaries and integrators is how our brains work. Visionaries tend to have a very high quick start, which means we can have an idea in the shower and want it executed yesterday. The rest of the team, however, may have other priorities they are already working on and it can create a sense of whiplash for them. Additionally, visionaries tend to have a low follow-through rate, which means that we may lose interest in an idea and change our minds frequently.

An integrator has a very different approach. They may need more information before moving forward with an idea, such as what the vision is, what the goal is, and whether or not it will generate revenue. They need to make sure that the idea is sound and not just something that sounds good. This can create a sense of pushback and tension between an integrator and the visionary, but it’s important for the team’s progress that they work through these challenges and through this healthy tension.

The integrator is someone who can ground the visionary’s ideas and help make them a reality. They do this by understanding the proper systems and processes, as well as their role in supporting the visionary. If the integrator doesn’t know how to ground the visionary, they may just let them do whatever they want and create a project plan for everything they come up with. This can lead to a lack of progress and disappointment when goals are not met.

On the other hand, if the integrator understands how to work well with the visionary and has the foresight to see which projects will move the company forward, they can guide the visionary towards the most appropriate ideas. This allows the visionary to keep generating ideas without being bogged down by details or unrealistic goals.

Setting Your Integrator Up for Success 

I often hear from business owners and visionaries who believe that all their problems can be solved by hiring the right support person. They think that if they just find the perfect integrator, VA, or project manager, everything will change overnight. However, this is rarely the case, and many end up disappointed when their new hire doesn’t live up to their expectations.

One of the reasons for this is that the term “integrator” is often misused. People hear that successful entrepreneurs have an integrator and assume that they need one too, without really understanding what the role entails. Some end up hiring a glorified VA instead of a strategic partner who can manage the team and handle high-level visionary tasks. As a result, they set their new hire up for failure from the start.

To avoid this, it’s crucial to do your due diligence and understand what your business needs before starting the hiring process. Take a close look at your current team and assess where the gaps are. Are your existing team members working in their sweet spots, or do you need to move them around? Is your job description aligned with the work your new hire will actually be doing?

Another common mistake is expecting your new hire to be a unicorn who can do everything. It’s important to have a clear understanding of the role you’re hiring for and what you need from that person. Rushing into a hiring decision without proper onboarding and training can be a recipe for disaster. Your new hire may not fully understand your business’s problems or how to solve them, which can lead to frustration and disappointment for both parties. So, make sure you understand what your business needs, and take the time to find the right person for the job. Rushing into a hiring decision can lead to disappointment and wasted resources, so make sure you have a clear plan in place before you start interviewing candidates.

This is one of the reasons we’ve decided to transform our Incubator Mastermind into a Visionary Right Hand Mastermind, incorporating successful practices from our business. Here, members will have access to a resource hub, including roles chart, hiring templates, onboarding systems, team culture, and leadership conversations. So, if this sounds like something you and your business need, make sure you visit luminaryleadershipco.com/mastermind for more information. 

Also, because the Mastermind is so selective and we can only take so many people, we’re also going to be extracting a lot of these systems and creating something truly amazing for you. So, make sure you check that out at luminaryleadershipco.com/leader.

Bringing the Joy Back to Your Business  

The strategic partnership is definitely a game changer for visionaries. Although we use the term “visionary” loosely, whether you see yourself as a CEO or an entrepreneur, this process will help you optimize your time and bring more joy into your business. By having a cohesive team and understanding the strategic partnership, you can map out your goals and prioritize what needs to be done.

The beauty of this process is that everyone in the team sits in their sweet spot and knows their priorities each week. With this flow, you’ll be able to focus on the needle movers and make sure everyone is invested in and focused on where you are going. This kind of teamwork allows you to optimize your time and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the many tasks that need to be done. It becomes easier to say, “This is our goal, this is where we want to get to, and these are the things we need to do to get there.”

Not to mention that with the strong foundation of systems in place, you’ll be able to have breakthroughs and hit your goals. And it’s so exciting to see the team become so invested in the culture and leadership of the company, allowing you to bring ideas to the table and get everyone on board with executing them.

I hope this series has helped you and given you some actionable steps into creating your own dream team. And if you would like more support from us on this journey, please check out luminaryleadershipco.com/mastermind and luminaryleadershipco.com/leader.

RESOURCES

• If you are ready for your breakthrough and are seeking additional support, check out: https://luminaryleadershipco.com/mastermind
• If you interested in having access to templates, tools and resources to help you create your dream team, get on the waitlist here:  https://luminaryleadershipco.com/leader
• Connect with me on Instagram!

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• Episode 20: Creating a People-First Culture with Steve Gabriel
• Episode 22: Visionary vs. Realist: How to Get on the Same Page as Your Spouse
• Episode 98: Building and Leading a Team that Supports Your Mission with Husband and Wife Business Owners Ryan and Anna Leonard
• Episode 156: Create More in Less Time, Get Focused + Become Unstoppable with This Tweak That Changed Everything For Me!
• Episode 162: Unleash Your Entrepreneurial Potential with a Future-Focused Leadership Success Strategy