“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” — Mike Tyson   Some view planning as futile because plans rarely go according to… plan. Markets shift. Clients leave. Key employees resign. If you run a business long enough, you’ll eventually get punched in the mouth. And yet, leadership teams that plan well consistently outperform those who don’t. The difference isn’t that their plans are better. It’s that the process of planning changes how they act. Planning Isn’t About Predicting the Future When I first began implementing EOS with leadership teams, I treated quarterly Rocks primarily as execution commitments: the priorities meant to move the company toward its One-Year Goals. That’s still true, but incomplete. Over time I’ve seen that Rocks are less about finishing projects and more about simplifying decisions. When a team defines a bold

Speed is a superpower in business—until it isn’t. Most leadership teams take pride in being responsive. They move fast, jump on problems quickly, and pride themselves on “getting things done.” But there’s a subtle tipping point where speed stops creating traction and starts creating friction. You know you’re on the wrong side of that line when the same issues keep resurfacing: The same customer complaint The same missed handoff The same “we should really fix this” conversation The same meeting where everyone nods… and nothing changes If that sounds familiar, the problem usually isn’t effort or intelligence. It’s the absence of a repeatable way to solve issues all the way through. The hidden cost of “moving fast” Fast teams often become reactive teams. They fix what’s loud. They put out what’s on fire. They respond to what’s urgent. And unintentionally, they train themselves to live in a loop: Problem shows

October is an interesting time of year. One the one hand, I and all others who observe the Jewish calendar are coming off several weeks of celebrating the New Year. It is a time of year that we spend a lot of time asking for forgiveness and praying for everything we want the coming year to be. A time of year that we work on strengthening our connections with God, our families, friends. It is a time of year that brings along the anxiety of missing A LOT of workdays and explaining that to people who may not be familiar with these holidays, and then getting caught up on everything we missed when it is over. But on the flip side, we are now in Q4, about the wrap up the year. Thanksgiving is about one month away, which means that the winter holidays are upon us right after that, and

3 Ways to Make Every Day Thanksgiving As we gather around tables laden with turkey and pie this November, Thanksgiving reminds us to pause and count our blessings. In the hustle of running a business on EOS, it’s easy to let the daily fires and traction goals crowd out the simple act of gratitude. Yet some of the strongest, most resilient leaders and companies I’ve worked with over the years have one thing in common: they’ve made gratitude part of their operating system—not just in November, but every single day. When gratitude becomes intentional and consistent, it doesn’t just feel good; it strengthens relationships, sharpens focus, and fuels the kind of energy that turns good teams into great ones. As an EOS Implementer, I’ve seen Level 10 Meetings™ transform when they begin with a genuine moment of perspective: “What are we thankful for before we dive into issues?” Taking thirty