In the world of EOS®, we talk a lot about LMA—Leading, Managing, and holding people Accountable. It’s one of the most powerful ways to ensure that your team thrives and your business gets what it needs from each seat on the Accountability Chart.
But let’s zero in on a specific area where LMA can either create traction or cause chaos: Rocks.
If you’ve been using EOS for a while, you already know Rocks are those 90-day priorities that move the business forward. But here’s a common mistake: too many leaders take on a Rock themselves and assume they have to do all the work. That’s not how it works.
Whether a Rock is yours or someone else’s, your job as a leader is to LMA the Rock—to lead and manage the process, not just complete the to-do list. Here’s how:
1. Leadership Practices Applied to Rocks
When you lead well, you inspire clarity, alignment, and purpose around the Rock.
- Set the vision: Share why this Rock matters and how it connects to the bigger picture.
- Choose the right owner: Make sure the Rock is assigned to someone who truly GWC’s it.
- Create clarity: Ensure a clear Rock Plan is completed so everyone understands what the end product looks like and how you’ll get there.
- Provide support: Give your team the tools, time, and attention they need to make real progress.
- Act for the greater good: Don’t think only about what works best for you. Make decisions about setting and tackling Rocks based on what’s best for the team and company.
- Step back regularly: Take clarity breaks along the way to evaluate whether you’re truly accomplishing what was intended and to remove any obstacles that have emerged.
2. Management Practices Applied to Rocks
When you manage well, you create structure, communication, and accountability around the Rock.
- Ensure there’s clear expectations: Break the Rock down into milestones and actions with specific owners everyone is clear what part of the rock they own.
- Drive weekly accountability: Use the L10 Meeting to check if the Rock is on track or off track—and ask why.
- Promote communication: Keep the lines open among all who are working on the Rock to prevent confusion or duplication.
- Recognize progress: Celebrate milestones and acknowledge team members for their contributions during L10s.
- Correct distractions: If someone gets off track or loses focus, redirect them. Rocks aren’t side projects—they’re the main thing.
- Hold the team accountable: Keep the Rock alive every week—not by doing the work yourself, but by managing the process and outcomes.
Final Thought
LMA’ing a Rock doesn’t mean becoming a workhorse or a helicopter boss. It means being the guide, coach, and architect that ensures the Rock gets done the right way—with clarity, communication, and consistency.
When you lead and manage Rocks well, your team learns to own their results, solve their own problems, and build real traction every quarter.
Now that’s how you roll a Rock.
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