Reset Your Thinking Podcast

Tool: Trust Builders

EOS Trust Builders
Purpose: To provide an overview of the EOS Trust Builders tool and its application for improving team health and trust within an organization.
Key Themes and Ideas:
Goal: The primary objective of the Trust Builders tool is to enhance vulnerability-based trust and overall team health within a leadership team and subsequently throughout the organization. As stated in the video source, the goal is "to keep building trust and team health by doing at least one trust builder every quarter forever from here on out."
Implementation: Trust Builders are implemented through regular activities and facilitated sessions, typically driven by the Integrator within the EOS framework. These activities should be incorporated into the team's routine, with a commitment to performing at least one Trust Builder activity per quarter. The guide suggests, "Ask them to commit to 1 trust Builder every quarter forever."
Foundation: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: The foundation for the entire Trust Builders approach is Patrick Lencioni's book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The documents emphasize that reading this book is the first step in building trust.
Meeting Pulse: Maintaining a consistent "meeting pulse" is crucial for building and sustaining trust. This involves holding regular 2-day annual meetings, 1-day quarterly meetings, and weekly Level 10 Meetings. These meetings should follow a consistent schedule ("same day, same time, same agenda, start on time, end on time") to create predictability and foster open communication.
Ten Trust Builders: The guide outlines a list of ten specific Trust Builders designed to improve team dynamics. These are described in more detail below.
Personal Connection: Several Trust Builders focus on fostering personal connections among team members. This includes the "Personal Histories exercise," "One Thing" exercise (done annually), and "Social Fun" activities.
Self-Awareness and Understanding: A significant component of the Trust Builders revolves around using profiling tools to increase self-awareness and understanding of team members' strengths, weaknesses, and working styles. Examples include:
Kolbe A™ profiles (kolbe.com)
Myers-Briggs® (discoveryourpersonality.com)
DiSC® profiles (various sources)
CliftonStrengths® (formerly StrengthsFinder) (strengthsfinder.com)
Working Genius (www.workinggenius.com) The video source clarifies that the profiling tools aren't necessarily meant to be done every quarter, but should be considered as options for the quarterly Trust Builder.
Conflict Resolution: The Trust Builders tool also addresses conflict resolution through activities like the "Personal Issues Solving Session" and the "Clear the Air" meeting.
"Personal Issues Solving Session" is used when two team members are in conflict. This involves each person sharing the three greatest strengths and weaknesses of the other, building an issues list, and creating an action plan to repair the relationship. It also acknowledges that sometimes, despite best efforts, resolution is not possible, and a personnel change may be necessary: "95% of the time that is going to resolve the problem. 5% of the time it doesn't and you find you got to prune the branch and one of them has to go."
"Clear the Air" meeting is used when the entire team is experiencing a "funk." This involves identifying what is "ticking you off" or holding the team back, creating an issues list, and working to resolve those issues.
Rollout: Once the leadership team has successfully implemented Trust Builders, they are encouraged to roll out the tools to their respective teams throughout the organization.
Integrator Role: The Integrator has the responsibility to ensure that the team engages in at least one Trust Builder activity per quarter.
List of Ten Trust Builders:
Read The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
The Meeting Pulse®: Regular, structured meetings.
Personal Histories Exercise: Sharing personal backgrounds.
One Thing (Recommended Annually): Sharing a most admirable trait, or what to start or stop doing.
Social Fun: Team-building activities outside of work.
Kolbe Profiles: Understanding individual action modes.
Profiling Tools: Myers-Briggs, DiSC, StrengthsFinder, Working Genius
Personal Issues Solving Session: Addressing conflicts between two team members.
"Clear the Air" Meeting: Addressing team-wide issues and frustrations.
Important Quotes:
"Your job coming out of your annual is to keep building trust and team health by doing at least one trust builder every quarter forever from here on out."
"Ask them to commit to 1 trust Builder every quarter forever."
"95% of the time that [personal issues solving] is going to resolve the problem. 5% of the time it doesn't and you find you got to prune the branch and one of them has to go."
Conclusion:
The EOS Trust Builders tool provides a structured approach to enhancing team health and trust. By consistently implementing these activities and using profiling tools, teams can foster a more collaborative and productive environment, ultimately leading to better organizational performance.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Tool: Delegate and Elevate

Delegate and Elevate Briefing Document
This document summarizes the key concepts and instructions for using the "Delegate and Elevate" tool within the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The tool is designed to help leaders identify tasks they should delegate to free up time for activities that are more aligned with their strengths and passions.
Main Themes:
Time Optimization: The primary goal of Delegate and Elevate is to help individuals optimize their time by focusing on tasks where they excel and enjoy, and delegating tasks that drain their energy or don't leverage their strengths.
Self-Awareness: The tool encourages self-reflection and honest assessment of one's skills, preferences, and time allocation.
Strategic Delegation: It provides a structured approach to delegation, ensuring that individuals strategically offload tasks to maximize efficiency and personal fulfillment.
Elevation to Strengths: The ultimate aim is to enable individuals to "elevate" themselves to focus on activities that align with their unique abilities and passions, leading to increased energy and productivity.
Key Ideas and Facts:
Purpose: The tool's objective is to help leaders recognize the need to delegate tasks and determine what, how much, and to whom they should delegate.
Quadrants: The Delegate and Elevate tool utilizes a four-quadrant matrix to categorize tasks based on an individual's enjoyment and skill level:
Bottom-Right: "everything you don’t like to do and that you are not good at. This is the easy one ― get rid of this stuff as fast as you can."
Bottom-Left: "everything you don’t like to do but are good at. 95% of the world lives in this quadrant." The video elaborates on this stating it is "personal hell".
Top-Right: "everything you like to do and are good at."
Top-Left: "everything you love to do and are great at. ‒ this is where we want you to spend most of your time. ‒ this is what gives you energy and you are genetically encoded to do."
Process:List Everything: Create a comprehensive list of all tasks performed in a typical week, "even the embarrassing stuff, a complete list."
Categorize: Place each task into one of the four quadrants based on your enjoyment and skill level.
Delegate: "Delegate everything you’re doing now from the bottom 2 quadrants ― as soon as you can." The video states that users should expect to be able to delegate approximately 25% of their tasks.
Elevate: "elevate to spend more time on stuff in the top 2 quadrants." Focus your time and energy on activities in the top two quadrants.
Commitment: The tool requires commitment to delegate tasks from the bottom two quadrants.
Intended Outcome: By utilizing the Delegate and Elevate tool, individuals can "very quickly delegate and elevate to your unique ability, your god-given talent, your genetic encoding."
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Tool: Clarity Break

Clarity Break Briefing Document
This document summarizes the concept of "Clarity Breaks" as presented in the provided sources, focusing on their purpose, implementation, and benefits within the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
I. Overview:
A Clarity Break is a scheduled time for leaders to step away from the daily operational grind and dedicate time to strategic thinking "on" the business, department, or themselves. The aim is to gain clarity, restore confidence, and improve decision-making. It's considered a critical discipline for effective leadership.
II. Key Themes & Ideas:
Purpose:
To rise above the "minutiae" of daily work and see the bigger picture ("you sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees").
To regain clarity and restore confidence, enabling better leadership and decision-making ("Creating clarity – restores confidence and gives clarity").
To work "on" the business, not just "in" the business ("elevate yourself above the day-to-day activities “in” the business so you can work “on” the business").
To protect one's confidence as a leader ("Protecting my confidence.").
Implementation:
Scheduling: Clarity Breaks must be scheduled and treated as an important appointment ("Schedule an appointment with yourself. Put it down on your calendar. If you don’t schedule the time, it will never magically happen."). Leaders are urged to set up recurring Clarity Breaks weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
Environment: Minimizing distractions is crucial ("MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS AND ALLOW YOURSELF TO JUST THINK"). This means no email, to-do lists, or interruptions.
Content: This time is dedicated to thinking and reflection, not task completion. Suggested starting point: a blank legal pad and pen to allow thoughts to flow.
Frequency: The right frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) should be determined by each leader and manager.
Benefits:
Time Savings: Despite initial concerns about finding the time, Clarity Breaks ultimately save time by creating efficiencies and simplifying procedures ("The irony is, you’ll actually save time by taking Clarity Breaks").
Improved Focus: Leaders can identify and prioritize the most important goals ("Am I focusing on the most important things?").
Better People Management: Clarity Breaks allow leaders to evaluate talent, delegate effectively, and improve communication ("Do I understand what my direct reports truly love to do and are great at doing? Am I leveraging their strengths?").
Proactive Approach: Leaders can shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive strategy development ("What can we do to be more proactive versus being reactive?").
III. Clarity Break Questions (Sample):
The documents provide a list of questions to guide reflection during Clarity Breaks:
"Is the Vision and Plan for the business/department on track?"
"What is the number one goal?"
"Do I have the Right People in the Right Seats to grow?"
"What is the one 'people move' that I must make this quarter?"
"Are my processes working well?"
"What seems overly complicated that must be simplified?"
"What can I delegate to others in order to use my time more effectively?"
"What can I do to improve communication?"
"What's my top priority this week? This month?"
IV. Context within EOS:
The Clarity Break tool is introduced during the EOS tools section of a Quarterly Pulsing Session when teaching LMA® (Leadership, Management, Accountability).
It's also taught during IDS® (Identify, Discuss, Solve) sessions if leadership team members are perceived as unclear, lacking confidence, or not working "on" the business.
V. Action Items:
Leaders should immediately schedule their next Clarity Break within the next 7 days and set it to recur ("Have each leader take a minute to schedule their next Clarity Break. (Must be in the next 7 days.). Ask them to hit 'recur'…forever.").
Leaders should utilize the provided questions as a starting point for reflection.
VI. Conclusion:
Clarity Breaks are presented as a non-negotiable discipline for effective leadership within the EOS framework. By consistently stepping back and dedicating time to strategic thinking, leaders can enhance their clarity, confidence, and overall effectiveness. The suggested questions are designed to focus the time productively and ensure the break contributes to moving the business forward.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Tool: Kolbe

Kolbe A™ Index
Introduction:
This document provides a comprehensive overview of the Kolbe A™ Index, its underlying theory, key concepts, and empirical validation based on the provided sources. The Kolbe A™ Index is a psychological assessment that measures an individual’s instinctive approach to problem-solving, specifically in the conative domain. Unlike cognitive (thinking) or affective (feeling) measures, the Kolbe focuses on how a person will naturally take action.
Key Concepts:
Conation: The Kolbe A™ Index measures conation, which is the aspect of the mind related to "doing drive," instinct, and purposeful striving. It's distinct from cognition (thinking, knowledge) and affect (feelings, emotions, values). As one document explains, “Action derived from instinct; purposeful mode of striving, volition. It's a conscious effort to carry out self-determined acts.”
Instinctive Action Modes: The Kolbe theory posits four distinct action modes, each representing a different way of approaching problem-solving. These are:
Fact Finder (FF): How we gather information.
Follow Thru (FT): How we organize information and systematize.
Quick Start (QS): How we deal with risk and uncertainty and initiate.
Implementor (IM): How we handle space and tangibles.
Mode of Operation (MO): Each individual has a unique MO, represented by a four-digit sequence of numbers (1-10), one for each Action Mode (e.g., 9-7-1-3). These numbers indicate the intensity of one's instinct in that mode.
Initiate (7-10): Describes how you will act or initiate solutions.
Respond (4-6): Describes how you are willing to act or respond to opportunities.
Prevent (1-3): Describes where you resist taking action in a specific mode.
Operating Zones: These indicate how a person naturally uses a mode. Each Mode of Operation has different possible ways of operating: Specifying, Systematizing, Stabilizing, Envisioning, etc. These describe the application of the energy in a mode.
Mental Energy: Everyone has 100% mental energy, or "ergs", that are distributed across the four Action Modes. This energy can be renewed through self-management. “Each of your 100 ergs has the same intensity - whether it is in the Initiating, ReActing, or CounterActing zone."
Ipsative Measurement: The Kolbe A™ Index is an ipsative instrument, meaning it measures a person against themselves rather than against others. It's about understanding an individual’s unique pattern of conative strengths.
Natural Advantage: Each MO pattern is associated with a “Natural Advantage” – a specific way of combining one or more conative strengths. Examples include "Researcher", "Strategic Planner," "Innovator", and "Demonstrator."
Transition: Individuals can experience periods of "Transition" when they are not operating from their natural instincts, often due to external or self-imposed pressures. This can result in inconsistent application of their strengths.
Key Findings & Ideas:
Instincts are Immutable: "Our instincts are not affected by genetics or social or environmental surroundings; they are unchangeable." The Kolbe Index measures these stable, natural action preferences.
Different from Personality/Intelligence: Kolbe results "doesn’t have anything to do with what your social style is or how smart you are. It’s how you will and won’t naturally take action.” It measures the conative, not the cognitive or affective, aspects of the mind.
Conative Strengths are Key to Success: When individuals operate in alignment with their conative strengths, they are more productive, satisfied, and effective. Kolbe emphasizes the importance of self-managing limited but renewable resources of mental energy through these instincts.
The Power of Awareness: Understanding one’s Kolbe result "is like having an instruction manual – about yourself!" The results provide guidance on how to leverage strengths and manage challenges. The tool provides "Conables® Tips" that are individualized for you, that "will help you explain your way of taking action, they will help you control the outcomes."
Team Collaboration: Kolbe can be used to improve team dynamics by creating understanding about each member's natural action preferences, and recognizing that "you naturally shine when you’re working on a team."
Application in Careers: Kolbe can help guide career choices. Jobs that "force you to initiate actions against your nature are dead-end situations." The Kolbe reports provide career considerations that help people “look for opportunities to contribute your conative strengths” and succeed.
Avoiding Stereotyping: "Don’t let anyone stereotype you as contributing or “being” just one of the Action Modes. Your contribution begins with [your initiating mode] and continues until you [your counteracting mode] the solution." This highlights the continuous nature of the contributions a person will make across the four modes.
The Kolbe Theory of Dominance : Kolbe found that when a result has two insistent modes with the same score, certain Action Modes dominate others. FF dominates all the other Modes; QS dominates FT and IM; and FT dominates IM.
The Kolbe Indexes: The Kolbe A Index is a forced-choice instrument for adults and the Kolbe Y Index is the youth form with questions geared to school and home environments. The Kolbe also has a B Index, C Index, and R Index, which weren’t discussed in detail in this report.
Individual Examples:
Bobby Peplinski (9-7-1-3): High initiation in Fact Finder and Follow Thru, which leads to a focus on gathering information and creating systems for solutions. He needs to "Be precise," "rate probabilities," and "correct errors."
Lindon Ivezaj (6-4-5-6): A team player who is good at bridging differences and responding to needs. Lindon is in the responding/accommodating zone in all four action modes.
Matt Sportel (6-5-3-5): Similar to Lindon in that he accommodates in each mode. Matt uses his conation to "explain" and "maintain" solutions.
Samuel Ashley Jr. (4-4-7-4): A visionary who is comfortable with uncertainty and uses innovation to drive results. He is an "Innovator" whose contribution begins with innovating and continues until he restores the solution. His focus is on "speculate, discover, originate, promote, [and] experiment."
Tyler Smith (2-2-7-9): Prefers to explore diverse options and create unique prototypes, relying on quick starts and his abilities as an Implementor. He likes to "Create substantive demonstrations" and "Build hand-crafted models."
David Hardin (4-4-*-6): In a period of "Transition," experiencing an internal conflict over how to get things done. He needs to focus on being free to be himself.
Empirical Evidence and Validity:
Reliability: Studies have shown high test-retest reliability for the Kolbe A™ Index. One study found correlations of r=.86 to .95 across the different modes of the index. This demonstrates the stability of the index results over time. The test also demonstrates strong internal consistency.
Validity:
Face Validity: The Kolbe Index is seen as relevant and meaningful for understanding workplace behavior.
Content Validity: The index covers essential aspects of problem-solving.
Criterion-Based Validity: The Kolbe A™ Index has been validated through studies correlating Kolbe scores with job performance in various fields. Examples include successful military pilots and engineers.
Predictive Validity: The Kolbe index is able to predict job success or failure.
Legal Compliance: The index has been shown not to be biased by gender, age, or race and is compliant with federal law for workplace applications. Studies indicate similar distributions of scores across genders, racial, and ethnic groups.
Construct Validity: The Kolbe A Index shows relationships to other personality indexes like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
Conative Dissonance: The index helps in identifying individuals who are operating out of alignment with their instincts, causing internal conflict and impacting performance.
"Natural Advantages" A statistical study has shown patterns of behavior, or "natural advantages", that people tend to use, depending on their combination of mode scores.
Conclusion:
The Kolbe A™ Index provides a unique and valuable perspective on how people take action. By measuring conative instincts, the Kolbe A™ Index offers insights into individual strengths, team dynamics, and career choices. Its reliability and validity have been demonstrated through extensive research, making it a powerful tool for self-awareness and organizational development. The index is designed for both individual growth as well as for team effectiveness.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Book: Good to Great

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins
Introduction:
This briefing summarizes key concepts and themes presented in the provided excerpts from Jim Collins' "Good to Great." The book explores what differentiates companies that achieve sustained greatness from those that remain merely good or decline. Collins emphasizes the importance of rigorous research, data-driven analysis, and challenging conventional wisdom. He invites the reader to question the findings and apply them thoughtfully. The goal is to provide actionable insights for organizations of all types, not just businesses. "So, I invite you to join me on an intellectual adventure to discover what it takes to turn good into great. I also encourage you to question and challenge what you learn."
Core Themes and Ideas:
Level 5 Leadership: The book highlights a specific type of leader required for the 'good-to-great' transformation. These leaders are characterized by:
Humility and Modesty: They are self-effacing and avoid the spotlight. "Good-to-great leaders continually used words like quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated, did not believe his own clippings; and so forth." The example of Darwin Smith of Kimberly-Clark, a seemingly "eccentric" man who preferred the company of plumbers and electricians to executive celebrity, illustrates this point. Ken Iverson of Nucor is another example of a humble and modest leader.
Fierce Resolve: Despite their humility, they possess an unwavering determination to achieve results. The contrast is drawn between Darwin Smith and Al Dunlap. Dunlap, or "Rambo in Pinstripes," focused on short-term gains and self-promotion, while Smith focused on the long-term success of the company. "According to Business Week, Dunlap personally accrued $100 million for 603 days of work at Scott Paper (that’s $165,000 per day), largely by slashing the workforce, cutting the R&D budget in half, and putting the company on growth steroids in preparation for sale."
Compensation for Weaknesses: The example of Winston Churchill illustrates the need to understand and compensate for the liabilities of one's own personality. “Winston Churchill understood the liabilities of his strong personality, and he compensated for them beautifully during the Second World War."
The Stockdale Paradox: This concept emphasizes the importance of facing the brutal facts of reality while maintaining unwavering faith that you will prevail in the end. Admiral Jim Stockdale's experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam embodies this paradox. He endured torture and uncertainty but never lost hope. "Stockdale lived out the war without any prisoner’s rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again."
The Hedgehog Concept (Three Circles): This is a crucial framework for achieving greatness. It involves identifying:
What you can be the best in the world at: This requires brutal honesty and a willingness to admit what you cannot be the best at. "Putting aside their egos, the Wells Fargo team pulled the plug on the vast..."
What drives your economic engine: Understanding your core profitability drivers. Pitney Bowes realized they weren’t just a “postage meter” company, but were in the business of “messaging.”
What you are deeply passionate about: You must be truly excited about the work you are doing. The example of Gillette shows that passion drives a company. "People who aren’t passionate about Gillette need not apply,” wrote a Wall Street Journal reporter..."
The intersection of these three circles defines the Hedgehog Concept, which provides clarity and focus. "They stick with what they understand and let their abilities, not their egos, determine what they attempt.”
A Culture of Discipline: Good-to-great companies exhibit a culture of discipline, characterized by:
Disciplined People: Having self-disciplined people who are rigorous and persevering.
Disciplined Thought: The ability to confront brutal facts.
Disciplined Action: Adhering to the Hedgehog Concept.
'Stop Doing' Lists: Focusing on what not to do is as important as 'to-do' lists. Darwin Smith, when he became CEO of Kimberly-Clark, "unplugged Kimberly from all paper industry trade associations."
Rinsing Your Cottage Cheese: The idea comes from athlete Dave Scott, and it refers to the "consistent program of superdiscipline."
Technology as an Accelerator, Not a Creator: Technology should be used to accelerate momentum after a company has achieved clarity on its Hedgehog Concept and established a disciplined culture. Walgreens used technology to create a better customer experience, which is what led to it going from good to great.
Core Ideology: This refers to the company's fundamental values and sense of purpose, which remain relatively constant over time. Bill Hewlett stated that he was most proud of helping "create a company that by virtue of its values, practices, and success has had a tremendous impact on the way companies are managed around the world."
Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs): These are ambitious, long-term goals that inspire and challenge the organization. Good BHAGs are set with understanding, while bad BHAGs are "set with bravado." An example of a BHAG is Bill Allen and Boeing, which decided to spend a quarter of the company's net worth to build a prototype jet that could be used for commercial aviation.
Focus on "Why Greatness?": It is critical to know why you are pursuing greatness and what truly matters to you and your organization. "Greatness doesn’t depend on size.”
Contrasting Examples:
The excerpts contrast good-to-great companies with comparison companies that failed to achieve sustained greatness. These comparisons highlight the importance of the discussed concepts. For example:
Kimberly-Clark vs. Scott Paper: Demonstrates the difference between Level 5 leadership and short-term, self-promoting leadership.
Wells Fargo vs. Bank of America: Illustrates the importance of a disciplined culture and focusing on core strengths.
Pitney Bowes vs. Addressograph: Shows how understanding your "best in the world" understanding can help you achieve greatness.
Research Methodology:
The book utilizes rigorous research methods, including:
Quantitative Analysis: Analyzing financial data, such as stock returns, acquisitions, and divestments.
Qualitative Analysis: Conducting interviews with executives and studying company histories. "To do this analysis, we created a database for each company, year by year: 1. List of acquisitions made during the year and their financial attributes. 2. Total number of acquisitions made during the year. 3. Total combined size of all acquisitions made during the year. 4. List of divestments made during the year. 5. Total number of divestments made during the year. 6. Total combined size of all divestments made during the year."
Industry Performance Analysis: To determine whether companies were in highly attractive industries at the time of the transition. "In this analysis, we looked at the performance of the companies versus the performance of the industries."
Conclusion:
The excerpts from "Good to Great" provide a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to sustained organizational success. The concepts of Level 5 Leadership, the Stockdale Paradox, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, technology as an accelerator, core ideology and BHAGs are essential for transforming good companies into great ones. The book encourages readers to rigorously analyze their own organizations and to embrace the challenge of achieving greatness.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Book: Good to Great Hedge Hog Concept

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins
Introduction:
This briefing summarizes key concepts and themes presented in the provided excerpts from Jim Collins' "Good to Great." The book explores what differentiates companies that achieve sustained greatness from those that remain merely good or decline. Collins emphasizes the importance of rigorous research, data-driven analysis, and challenging conventional wisdom. He invites the reader to question the findings and apply them thoughtfully. The goal is to provide actionable insights for organizations of all types, not just businesses. "So, I invite you to join me on an intellectual adventure to discover what it takes to turn good into great. I also encourage you to question and challenge what you learn."
Core Themes and Ideas:
Level 5 Leadership: The book highlights a specific type of leader required for the 'good-to-great' transformation. These leaders are characterized by:
Humility and Modesty: They are self-effacing and avoid the spotlight. "Good-to-great leaders continually used words like quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, understated, did not believe his own clippings; and so forth." The example of Darwin Smith of Kimberly-Clark, a seemingly "eccentric" man who preferred the company of plumbers and electricians to executive celebrity, illustrates this point. Ken Iverson of Nucor is another example of a humble and modest leader.
Fierce Resolve: Despite their humility, they possess an unwavering determination to achieve results. The contrast is drawn between Darwin Smith and Al Dunlap. Dunlap, or "Rambo in Pinstripes," focused on short-term gains and self-promotion, while Smith focused on the long-term success of the company. "According to Business Week, Dunlap personally accrued $100 million for 603 days of work at Scott Paper (that’s $165,000 per day), largely by slashing the workforce, cutting the R&D budget in half, and putting the company on growth steroids in preparation for sale."
Compensation for Weaknesses: The example of Winston Churchill illustrates the need to understand and compensate for the liabilities of one's own personality. “Winston Churchill understood the liabilities of his strong personality, and he compensated for them beautifully during the Second World War."
The Stockdale Paradox: This concept emphasizes the importance of facing the brutal facts of reality while maintaining unwavering faith that you will prevail in the end. Admiral Jim Stockdale's experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam embodies this paradox. He endured torture and uncertainty but never lost hope. "Stockdale lived out the war without any prisoner’s rights, no set release date, and no certainty as to whether he would even survive to see his family again."
The Hedgehog Concept (Three Circles): This is a crucial framework for achieving greatness. It involves identifying:
What you can be the best in the world at: This requires brutal honesty and a willingness to admit what you cannot be the best at. "Putting aside their egos, the Wells Fargo team pulled the plug on the vast..."
What drives your economic engine: Understanding your core profitability drivers. Pitney Bowes realized they weren’t just a “postage meter” company, but were in the business of “messaging.”
What you are deeply passionate about: You must be truly excited about the work you are doing. The example of Gillette shows that passion drives a company. "People who aren’t passionate about Gillette need not apply,” wrote a Wall Street Journal reporter..."
The intersection of these three circles defines the Hedgehog Concept, which provides clarity and focus. "They stick with what they understand and let their abilities, not their egos, determine what they attempt.”
A Culture of Discipline: Good-to-great companies exhibit a culture of discipline, characterized by:
Disciplined People: Having self-disciplined people who are rigorous and persevering.
Disciplined Thought: The ability to confront brutal facts.
Disciplined Action: Adhering to the Hedgehog Concept.
'Stop Doing' Lists: Focusing on what not to do is as important as 'to-do' lists. Darwin Smith, when he became CEO of Kimberly-Clark, "unplugged Kimberly from all paper industry trade associations."
Rinsing Your Cottage Cheese: The idea comes from athlete Dave Scott, and it refers to the "consistent program of superdiscipline."
Technology as an Accelerator, Not a Creator: Technology should be used to accelerate momentum after a company has achieved clarity on its Hedgehog Concept and established a disciplined culture. Walgreens used technology to create a better customer experience, which is what led to it going from good to great.
Core Ideology: This refers to the company's fundamental values and sense of purpose, which remain relatively constant over time. Bill Hewlett stated that he was most proud of helping "create a company that by virtue of its values, practices, and success has had a tremendous impact on the way companies are managed around the world."
Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs): These are ambitious, long-term goals that inspire and challenge the organization. Good BHAGs are set with understanding, while bad BHAGs are "set with bravado." An example of a BHAG is Bill Allen and Boeing, which decided to spend a quarter of the company's net worth to build a prototype jet that could be used for commercial aviation.
Focus on "Why Greatness?": It is critical to know why you are pursuing greatness and what truly matters to you and your organization. "Greatness doesn’t depend on size.”
Contrasting Examples:
The excerpts contrast good-to-great companies with comparison companies that failed to achieve sustained greatness. These comparisons highlight the importance of the discussed concepts. For example:
Kimberly-Clark vs. Scott Paper: Demonstrates the difference between Level 5 leadership and short-term, self-promoting leadership.
Wells Fargo vs. Bank of America: Illustrates the importance of a disciplined culture and focusing on core strengths.
Pitney Bowes vs. Addressograph: Shows how understanding your "best in the world" understanding can help you achieve greatness.
Research Methodology:
The book utilizes rigorous research methods, including:
Quantitative Analysis: Analyzing financial data, such as stock returns, acquisitions, and divestments.
Qualitative Analysis: Conducting interviews with executives and studying company histories. "To do this analysis, we created a database for each company, year by year: 1. List of acquisitions made during the year and their financial attributes. 2. Total number of acquisitions made during the year. 3. Total combined size of all acquisitions made during the year. 4. List of divestments made during the year. 5. Total number of divestments made during the year. 6. Total combined size of all divestments made during the year."
Industry Performance Analysis: To determine whether companies were in highly attractive industries at the time of the transition. "In this analysis, we looked at the performance of the companies versus the performance of the industries."
Conclusion:
The excerpts from "Good to Great" provide a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to sustained organizational success. The concepts of Level 5 Leadership, the Stockdale Paradox, the Hedgehog Concept, a Culture of Discipline, technology as an accelerator, core ideology and BHAGs are essential for transforming good companies into great ones. The book encourages readers to rigorously analyze their own organizations and to embrace the challenge of achieving greatness.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Additional Tool: Assistant Track

EOS Assistance Track
Overview:
The EOS Assistance Track is a five-step process designed to improve time management and free up leaders to focus on their "highest and best work" (tasks that create the most value for the business). It addresses the issue of leaders spending time on low-value tasks ( "$25/hour work"). The core principle is to leverage assistance from others to delegate and offload tasks that do not require the leader's direct attention or specialized skills. It's a tool taught during the IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) portion of a Quarterly Pulsing session, triggered when a team member needs help with organization, detail, or letting go of tactical responsibilities.
Key Themes and Ideas:
Time Management and Delegation: The track is fundamentally about effective time management and ensuring leaders are not bogged down in tasks that can be handled by others. It emphasizes the importance of delegating lower-value tasks. As stated in the sources, "If anyone on the leadership team finds themselves doing $25/ hour work, that’s a mistake. We’ve got to free you up to do the stuff that creates the most value in the business."
Leveraging Assistance (Not Just Assistants): The program is designed to be accessible to everyone, not just those with dedicated personal assistants. It focuses on utilizing existing resources and support within the organization. The video transcript states, "This is about how you leverage assistance from someone around you, be it someone dedicated to you or someone who supports multiple people to help free you up."
The Five Steps of the Assistance Track:
Delegate and Elevate®: This initial step involves identifying and delegating tasks that fall into the bottom two quadrants of the "Delegate and Elevate" exercise. It builds upon concepts taught in Vision Building Day 2. "The Assistance Track helps you make sure you are delegating everything in those bottom two quadrants so you can free yourself up to do work you love and are great at."
The Stack: This step is about processing tasks efficiently by only touching them once. Anything that can be delegated is placed in a "stack" for the assistant to handle. "When something comes to you, you can be most efficient if you only touch it once."
Daily Meeting: A brief (15-minute) daily meeting between the leader and the assistant to hand off "The Stack", answer questions, and provide necessary information. "You and the person providing assistance to you simply meets with you for 15 minutes and you make sure to deliver everything from the stack to that person."
Email System: This involves entrusting email management to the assistant, who filters, prioritizes, and even responds to emails on the leader's behalf. Emails are categorized as Junk, Informational, or Requiring a Response. "The email system simply works like this. When you get an email, it's going to fall into one of three categories. The first category is junk. And junk mail is something your assistant is going to just delete for you." The goal is for the assistant to eventually handle 50-60% of email responses.
Your Schedule: This entails delegating calendar management, appointment scheduling, and travel booking to the assistant. It's emphasized that this must be a complete handover for it to be effective.
Time Savings: The Assistance Track is estimated to save a significant amount of time each week. The documents provide minimum estimates for each step, suggesting a potential savings of several hours per week.
Email System Details:
Junk: The assistant deletes these immediately.
Informational: The assistant filters and delivers these to the leader at a predetermined frequency (e.g., twice a month).
Requires Response: The assistant either responds on behalf of the leader (ideally 50-60% of the time) or presents the email to the leader in a preferred format (e.g., starred in the inbox, read via voicemail).
Flexibility within Structure: While encouraging implementation of all five steps, it's acknowledged that clients might only adopt two or three. The emphasis remains on driving adoption where it's most impactful.
When to Teach: The Assistance Track is taught when the implementer sees a need for it, such as when a client isn't delegating, doing low value work, or struggling with the tactical. The goal is to teach it as part of the 20 tools in the toolbox.
Potential Challenges and Considerations:
Letting Go of Control: The email system and schedule delegation steps can be challenging for leaders who are accustomed to having direct control over these areas.
Finding the Right Assistant: The success of the Assistance Track depends on having a trustworthy and competent person in the assistant role.
Implementation isn't always Linear: It's okay if the client picks and chooses from the five steps, but the implementer should encourage the client to use all five steps.
Conclusion:
The EOS Assistance Track provides a structured approach to time management and delegation, aiming to free up leaders to focus on high-value activities. By implementing the five steps, leaders can potentially reclaim significant time and improve their overall effectiveness.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Additional Tool: Sales Dept. Checkup

EOS Sales Department Checkup
Purpose:
This document summarizes the EOS "Sales Department Checkup" tool, its purpose, components, and implementation process. The goal is to provide a concise overview for understanding and utilizing this tool for assessing and improving sales department performance.
Core Concept:
The EOS Sales Department Checkup is a diagnostic tool designed to identify "stress cracks" and areas for improvement within a sales department. It stems from observations of the differences between high-functioning sales teams and those that are struggling. The checkup helps determine if a sales department possesses the key attributes common to successful teams. It's used during Quarterly Pulsing sessions when issues are noticed.
Main Themes & Components:
The Sales Department Checkup is structured around eight key areas. For each area, the leadership team collectively determines if they can honestly answer "YES" to having that element in place. A "NO" answer signifies an issue that needs to be addressed. The eight areas are:
A Sales Manager: Having "One person accountable" and ensuring that the sales manager is the "Right person, right seat" (RPRS), meaning they Get, Want, and have the Capacity (GWC) for the role.
"Right person, right seat. They GWC the sales manager seat."
This emphasizes clear accountability and ensuring the individual is a good fit.
A Clear Marketing Strategy, Plan, and Materials: This includes a defined "Target market/“The list,”" "3 Uniques™," "Proven process," and a "Guarantee".
Video source: "This is the hallmark of a great sales function that you've got a target market. You're all 100% on the same page with who your ideal customer is and you've got the list built...You have a great set of three uniques that make you different and better than the competition in the minds of your target market."
Highlights the importance of a well-defined and communicated marketing foundation.
A Clear Sales Process: A "Documented, simplified" process that is consistently followed ("FBA"). This is a repeatable, understandable process for all salespeople to follow.
Video source: "Make sure everybody in the organization is following that sales process."
Underscores the need for a clear, documented, and adhered-to sales process.
Your Sales Culture and Approach Defined: Defining whether the focus is on "Transaction vs. relationship," clarifying "Salary vs. commission" structures, and identifying whether you are selling a "Product/service/commodity/experience"
"Decide and be consistent."
This stresses the importance of making explicit choices about the sales approach and ensuring consistency.
Video source: "So, are we selling transactionally or are we focusing on building a long-term relationship? You can't have both. So, are we clear on what we do? And do we communicate consistently in the marketplace? Are you a salary oriented sales organization, commissions, some combination? Is everybody clear and on the same page? Are you selling a product, a service, a commodity, or an experience? Again, you've got to choose one."
Managing the Numbers/Activity: Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) "As early in the sales process as possible" and "Using a Scorecard" to monitor progress.
Emphasizes data-driven management and early identification of potential issues.
Video source: "So, as early in the sales process as possible. You are tracking the things that lead to future results, winning new business, getting orders from existing clients, and you're using a scorecard."
The Right People in the Right Seats (RPRS): Ensuring alignment with "Core values" and that individuals "GWC the five roles in the seat." *Video source: "Do they all share the core values fit your culture like a glove? And do they all GWC all five roles in their seat on the accountability chart?"
This reiterates the importance of cultural fit and role suitability.
Minimum Standards Clear with All Salespeople: Having "The rules of the game" defined, including expectations for "Numbers, sales volume, Core Values, five roles, etc." Ensuring everyone has a number to hit. *Video source: "They must all follow the rules of the game. Core value GWC the five rolls in their seats. They've got to set and complete rocks that move themselves, their team or the organization forward. Are they all hitting their numbers, achieving sales volume goals, etc."
Highlights the need for explicit expectations and accountability.
Absolute Consistency: Maintaining consistency in "Process, message, materials, Meeting Pulse™, etc." Each person has a "V/TO™"
Video source: "Each salesperson has a VTO. This is something we've noticed in high functioning teams is that if a salesperson can think about his or her book of business as an entrepreneurial opportunity, have a clear vision for what they're trying to accomplish, it can help them achieve a greater vision."
Emphasizes the critical role of consistency in sales execution and overall performance.
Implementation Process:
Preparation: Review the Implementer Guide and watch the Sales Department Checkup video.
Team Assessment: The leadership team goes through each of the eight areas, one at a time.
"YES/NO" Evaluation: For each area, each team member answers "YES" or "NO" regarding whether that element is in place. All must say yes.
Issue Identification: If there's a "NO," facilitate a quick discussion to identify the underlying issues.
Issue Listing: Add any identified issues to the Issues List for later resolution.
Resolution: Address the identified issues during the IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) portion of the session to get the sales function "back on track."
Key Takeaways:
The Sales Department Checkup is a straightforward, yet powerful tool for identifying weaknesses in a sales department.
The "YES/NO" format facilitates clear and direct assessment.
The process emphasizes team alignment and open discussion.
Addressing identified issues is crucial to improving sales performance.
A nervous department head can indicate underlying issues with the sales department.
This briefing document should provide a solid understanding of the EOS Sales Department Checkup. Remember to consult the original materials for complete details.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Additional Tool: Getting What you Want

EOS "Getting What You Want" Tool
This document summarizes the EOS "Getting What You Want" tool based on the provided sources. The tool is designed to help individuals and teams break down complex goals, processes, and projects into smaller, manageable steps. It emphasizes starting with the desired end result and working either forward or backward to define the necessary actions.
Core Concept:
The "Getting What You Want" tool is a method for visualizing and planning a sequence of activities leading to a specific outcome. It promotes clarity and focuses effort by defining measurable steps. As stated in the "EOS-Getting-What-You-Want.pdf":
"State the desired end result, in the box at the far right. In the boxes to the left, define the activities leading to the end result including the measurables that specify how much or to what level each activity needs to be completed."
Main Themes and Ideas:
Breaking Down Complexity: The primary purpose of the tool is to simplify complex tasks by dividing them into smaller, more manageable steps. As noted in "Getting-What-You-Want-Implementer-Guide.pdf", it is a "Simple tool to help clients break big, complex things up into smaller, more manageable chunks."
Linear Progression: The tool emphasizes a linear approach, presenting activities in a sequential order that leads to the desired result. "Steps in a linear fashion." ("Getting-What-You-Want-Implementer-Guide.pdf")
Starting with the End in Mind: The process always begins by defining the desired end result. This ensures that all subsequent steps are aligned with the overall objective. The "output (3).mp4" video emphasized: "Always beginning with the end in mind."
Measurability: Each step should have measurable criteria to track progress and ensure that the activity is completed to the required level. "Define the activities leading to the end result including the measurables that specify how much or to what level each activity needs to be completed." ("EOS-Getting-What-You-Want.pdf")
Key Uses/Applications:
The "Getting What You Want" tool has three primary applications:
Documenting and Simplifying Core Processes: It helps to visualize and streamline the core processes of a business by identifying the major steps involved.
"Documenting and simplifying Core Processes. Start with the end result in mind and then either work forward or work backward to identify each step." ("Getting-What-You-Want-Implementer-Guide.pdf")
Identifying Leading Indicators for a Scorecard: The tool can be used to identify key metrics that predict future success. By working backward from the desired outcome, it helps to pinpoint leading indicators that can be tracked on a scorecard.
"Identifying leading indicators for a Scorecard. Start with end results and look at prior steps in a Core Process to identify the relationship/ ratio between prior step and current step." ("Getting-What-You-Want-Implementer-Guide.pdf")
Managing Projects (Rocks, Goals, or other important milestones): When project planning is difficult, the tool provides a structured approach to define milestones and track progress.
"Managing a project like a Rock or a Goal. When they are struggling to predict well with the project, start with the end in mind." ("Getting-What-You-Want-Implementer-Guide.pdf")
Example:
The "EOS-Getting-What-You-Want.pdf" provides an example:
Activities: Add Target Prospect to List -> Make Contacts -> First Meeting -> Needs Assessment -> Create Proposal -> Present Proposal
Measurables: WK4 / WK2 / WK1 / WK2 / MO2 / MO
End Result: 1 New Client
Implementation Notes:
The tool should focus on high-level, simple, major steps.
The process can work either forwards from the beginning or backwards from the end.
It is helpful to select key measurables and add them to the Scorecard.
In conclusion, the "Getting What You Want" tool offers a structured and practical approach to achieving goals, streamlining processes, and managing projects by breaking them down into manageable steps with clear, measurable targets.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.

Additional Tool: Merger Acquisition Fit

EOS Merger/Acquisition "Fit"
Objective: To provide a clear overview of the EOS Merger/Acquisition "Fit" process, its purpose, methodology, and key considerations, based on the provided documentation and videos.
I. Overview
The EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Merger/Acquisition "Fit" process is a structured methodology designed to help organizations contemplating a merger or acquisition determine whether there is a strong cultural and strategic alignment between the involved parties. The core objective is to achieve "Clarity of Fit (go, no go)" before significant investment is made in the transaction. It is designed to surface potential issues and ensure both organizations are aligned on key aspects of their cultures and strategies. The session aims to determine if the organizations "belong together."
II. Key Themes and Ideas
Two Types of Fit: The process focuses on assessing two primary types of fit:
Cultural Fit: This assesses the compatibility of core values, people (Right People, Right Seats), operating systems (ideally EOS), personalities/egos, the ability to work together, integrator identification, and adherence to partnership "rules of the game." "The #1 reason mergers and acquisitions fail is due to culture."
Strategic Fit: This examines the alignment of the Accountability Chart, Vision (V/TO, Core Focus, 10-Year Target, 3-Year Picture, 1-Year Plan), balance of talent, potential for expense reduction, bottom-line increase, synergies, and efficiencies.
Importance of Early Assessment: The "Fit" session should occur "as soon as possible" in the merger/acquisition process, after initial interest is established. This helps organizations avoid wasting time and resources on deals that are unlikely to succeed. "Doing this session will help them get clear and determine whether there's a fit potential here faster than anything else they could do."
EOS Tools: The session leverages core EOS tools such as:
Core Values: Defining and aligning on core values is a critical element of assessing cultural fit. The goal is to arrive at "one set of three to seven core values."
People Analyzer: This tool is used to assess whether individuals from both organizations embody the combined entity's core values (Right People, Right Seats - RPRS).
Accountability Chart: This is used to define the organizational structure and roles within the merged entity, particularly at the leadership team level. Focus on the "function names and a name in the seat for each of the leadership team seats."
V/TO (Vision/Traction Organizer): Assesses the alignment of the long-term vision and strategic goals of the involved parties.
The "Fit" Session:
Participants: Key owners/leaders (typically 1-3 people) from both organizations. At least one company must be an EOS client.
Duration: Typically a half-day (4 hours).
Agenda:Setup and Check-In: Setting the stage, managing expectations, sharing good news, and understanding each participant's expectations. Checking in should include the key components of: good news, reasons for doing the deal, concerns, and expectations.
Fit Conversation: Exploring the cultural and strategic fit using EOS tools (Core Values, People Analyzer, Accountability Chart).
Issues List: Compiling a comprehensive list of outstanding issues to be addressed.
Next Steps: Facilitating clarity around next steps.
Conclude: Gathering feedback, determining the "go, no go" decision, and ensuring expectations were met.
Facilitator Role: The EOS Implementer acts as a facilitator, guiding the participants through the process and helping them arrive at their own conclusions about the "fit." The implementer's expectations for the session should be open and honest. The implementer is not an attorney and facilitates the parties to a conclusion they draw on their own about whether or not there is a fit.
Session Preparation: Prior to the session, the Implementer should:
Send a confirmation email requesting core values, V/TO (or business plan), accountability chart (or organizational chart), and any specific concerns.
Prepare the session room with objectives, agenda, the two types of fit (cultural and strategic), and core values from both companies on the whiteboard.
III. Process Steps & Key Activities
Pre-Session Email: Send a pre-session email requesting key documents (Core Values, V/TO, Accountability Chart) and concerns.
Session Setup: Prepare the room with objectives, agenda, types of fit, and existing core values.
Check-In: Gather information from participants about good news, reasons for the deal, concerns, and expectations.
Fit Conversation:
Core Values: Facilitate the teams to create a combined list of core values using the keep, kill, combine method.
People Analyzer: Distribute the people analyzer, insert the core values and have the participants people analyze themselves, their best employee, and their worst employee.
Accountability Chart: Quickly teach the basic accountability exercise and draw the leadership seats and function names on the whiteboard.
Issues List: Compile a list of outstanding issues and ensure a plan for capturing and addressing them.
Next Steps and Conclusion: Facilitate clarity on next steps, gather feedback, and determine the "go, no go" decision.
IV. Critical Success Factors
Experienced Implementer: The EOS Implementer should have significant experience facilitating EOS sessions to effectively guide the process. Ideally, should have conducted over 100 EOS sessions.
Open Communication: The process relies on open and honest communication between the parties.
Focus on Culture: Recognizing that cultural fit is the primary driver of success (or failure) in mergers/acquisitions.
V. Cautions
Complexity: This session is difficult to pull off, requiring a lot of road testing and experience.
GWC (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it): Do not teach GWC (Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it) when you are putting names in seats as it takes too much time.
Don't present "People" as 1+1=3. 1+1=3 represents the "Balance of Talent" on the strategic side, rather than the cultural side.
This briefing document provides a concise overview of the EOS Merger/Acquisition "Fit" process, highlighting its key elements and considerations for successful implementation.
RYT Podcast is a passion product of Tyler Smith, an EOS Implementer (more at IssueSolving.com). All Podcasts are derivative works created by AI from publicly available sources. Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved.