Have you heard of the Integrator and Visionary theory?
I first heard about it when Evy Andra from Free Folk Agency made a post about the concept.
This prompted a deeper dive into the theory and I came across the book "Rocket Fuel" by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters. Famous examples of Visionary and Integrator duos are:
- Henry Ford and James Couzens
- Henry had the automobile production line and James helped the business grow.
- Ray Kroc and Fred Turner of McDonalds
- Ray had the vision of McDonalds, Fred created the systems and protocols that could be replicated
- Walt and Roy Disney
- Walt was the visionary, Roy ran the business.
Integrators make a business work by dealing with the nuts and bolts of things.
While the concept is usually reserved for larger companies, it can be useful for small and micro businesses to understand. Visionaries can easily become overwhelmed with all of the tedious aspects of running a business and that's where it's useful they hire an integrator.
Integrators have the skills to:
- Find resolutions
- Create harmony
- Prioritize what needs to be done and follow-through
- Create systems and protocols
This allows Visionaries to focus on innovation.