Industry Buzz: Are You an Integrator or a Visionary?

The other day I was chatting with an expert in the industry on how she juggles being an entrepreneur, club owner, expert and mom. She explained she’s able to do so because she has a support system of people who help bring her visions, dreams and ideas to fruition. She is the visionary, and many of those around her are integrators.

According to “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business” by Gino Wickman, both visionaries and integrators are essential to boasting a successful business.

Wickman defines visionaries as the person who “typically has 10 new ideas a week. Nine of them might not be so great, but one usually is, and it’s that one idea each week that keeps the organization growing.” Integrators, on the other hand, are the people “who harmoniously integrate the major functions of the business.”

According to Wickman, the two couldn’t be more different. However, when they work together, the results can be surprising.

Here’s a helpful list Wickman provides that details how integrators and visionaries differ:

Visionary:

Ideas
Creative/problem solving
Big relationships
Culture
R&D
More on emotion

Integrator:

Lead, manage, accountability (LMA)
Plan
Remove obstacles and barriers
Special projects/management
More on logic

Looking at this, where do you fit into your business? Are you a visionary or integrator, or are you acting as both? And if you fit into one category, are you missing the counterpart?

According to Wickman, it’s likely your business has a visionary but no integrator. He said, “This causes a real struggle, because the visionary is constantly frustrated with his or her lack of traction. In addition, he or she has to keep acting as the integrator and get pulled into the day-to-day management of the business.”

Take a moment to sit down and figure out whether or not your business is missing an integrator, visionary or both. As an operator, it’s important to analyze whether or not your skills — and the skills of those around you — are being utilized to the upmost, in order to keep the business moving forward.

Rachel Zabonick is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.