For the business owners who have tried everything except getting the help they need.
In Part One of this blog, I shared how an orthopedic boot gave my injured Achilles the structure and support it needed to heal and how EOS can do something similar for a business. But what happens when you have the right system and still hit a ceiling? That’s where Part Two begins.
After helping over 50 companies implement EOS here another thing I’ve learned – the right system isn’t enough all by itself. You’ve got to have the right people in the right seats who will implement the system with purpose and accountability.
You can have the tools. You can have the processes. You can have a leadership team that understands EOS. And still hit the ceiling.
When the Boot Comes Off
Think about what happens when you finally come out of a boot. You’re healed enough to walk again but you’re not necessarily back to 100%.
You may need physical therapy.
You need to rebuild strength. You need to retrain the muscles. You need someone to help you get from “I’m functional” to “I’m strong.”
The same can be true in an EOS-run company.
Sometimes a company has learned the EOS tools, but they aren’t working their way through the organization the way they were intended to. Some of the things I’ve seen are:
- The leadership team is struggling with accountability
- The Visionary is still carrying too much
- Important issues aren’t getting solved
- The leadership team isn’t truly operating as a team
And often, what’s missing is the person sitting in the Integrator seat.
For those who aren’t familiar with EOS, the Integrator is essentially the second-in-command – the person who works alongside the Visionary (usually the founder) to keep the leadership team aligned, drive accountability, and make sure the vision actually gets executed.
And that seat matters.
A lot.
The Integrator is the Jesus Nut
Jesus nut is a slang term for the mast nut that holds the main rotor to the mast of some helicopters. More generally, Jesus nut is used to refer to any component that is a single point of failure whose breakdown would result in catastrophic consequences, the suggestion being that in such a case the only thing left to do would be to pray to Jesus.
I’ve been known to call the Integrator the “Jesus nut” of the organization. If they aren’t a rock star in their seat, or the seat is empty, the results are usually borderline catastrophic. You just don’t get what you want out of your business, because you lack execution of the EOS tools, discipline to maintain them, and accountability across the organization.
This is where Beacon & Blade comes in.
We provide Interim Integrators to companies that are running on EOS. They work hand-in-glove with the Visionary, helping turn EOS from a collection of tools into the way the company actually operates. They help bring accountability to the leadership team, drive execution and implement the tools through the organization.
And perhaps most importantly, they give the Visionary the space to do what the Visionary does best… see the future and lead the company toward it.
Sometimes the right answer is finding and developing a permanent Integrator. Sometimes the company isn’t ready for that yet. And sometimes you just need someone to step into the seat, stabilize things, strengthen the leadership team, and help get the company to the next level.
That’s an Interim Integrator.
And if you’re thinking right now, ‘I’ve got an Integrator, but we still aren’t operating like we should. Numbers are flat, Rocks aren’t at 80% completion, accountability is lacking,” then there’s one more way Beacon & Blade can help.
We have a “Train the Seat” offering, where an experienced Integrator coach supports your Integrator while they work in the day-to-day, helping to strengthen their understanding, execution, and confidence in the seat.
Sometimes they’ve never seen how the seat should function, so it’s hard for them to fully embrace what a rock star in the seat looks like. I’ve heard more than once, “What does an Integrator even do?”
And I heard that from someone sitting in the Integrator seat!
So do your Integrator a solid and get them some hands-on training. Or if you’re that Integrator, put up your hand and let your team know that you need some help.
That you need to get in the boot.
Getting Help Isn’t Failure
I’m still not particularly excited about wearing that boot, but I’ve learned something from this stubborn Achilles.
Getting help isn’t a sign that you’re weak.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it yourself. It means you’re smart enough to recognize that sometimes there’s a better way.
The boot didn’t do the healing for me. It gave my body the structure and support it needed to do what it was designed to do.
EOS can do something similar for a business. And sometimes, an Integrator provides the additional support needed to make that system actually work the way it should.
So, if you’re a business owner who has been muscling through for a while, maybe the question isn’t:
“How much harder can I push?”
Maybe it’s:
“What support would help me get stronger faster?”
Maybe you need an operating system.
Maybe you need a coach.
Maybe you need an Integrator.
Whatever it is, don’t wait until you rupture something to ask for help.
The fastest path forward isn’t always doing more yourself. Sometimes, it’s getting the right support so you can finally get stronger.