Where is your energy really going? I’ve been spending a lot of time in and around the skeleton of our new barn. Construction started a month ago, and for a long time we seemed to be going down into the earth without a lot to show for progress. It was a necessary step to build the solid foundation on top of what they told me were “expansive soils”. As an engineer I appreciate the absolute need for a solid foundation. Now at last the framing has begun and the walls are rising up, the concrete slab on the ground floor is still raw, and I reflect back on the thousands of decisions that have brought us to this point. Window trim or plain? Composite siding or wood? Stain or paint? None of these choices are monumental, yet each one chipped away at my attention and my energy because they were

November’s Emotional Whiplash – Why leaders feel “fine” and freaked out at the same time   Nov 19 Written By Steve Morris A new Wall Street Journal/NORC poll just revealed something fascinating: 62% of Americans say they feel financially comfortable right now. And 77% say they’re pessimistic about the future. Both can be true. And for most leaders this year… both are true. The poll broke people into four groups. Two of them matter most for what you and your team have been experiencing: 41%: comfortable pessimists “I’m okay today… but I don’t like where this is going.” 36%: stressed pessimists “I’m tired… and I don’t see a way out.” Then there’s the unicorn category: 3%: stressed optimists “I’m under pressure… and I’m still moving forward.” You already know which group creates momentum. You also know which group drives the majority of team decisions, postponements, and risk-avoidance spirals. And here’s the

Every year around this time, I see the same pattern in entrepreneurial leaders: They’re exhausted. They’re buried in urgency. And they’re trying to sprint into the holiday season on fumes, telling themselves they’ll “rest later.” But here’s the truth (and it’s straight out of Traction): You don’t need more time. You need better priorities. And Thanksgiving week is the perfect proving ground. Because if you can’t disconnect for one week, you’re probably not running your business, your business is running you. Let me give you a simple EOS-flavored reframe that helps the CEOs and owners I work with shift from overwhelm to clarity: 1. Get brutally clear on the right things. Most business owners are spinning because they’re trying to juggle 100 ideas, tasks, and unfinished commitments. As Traction reminds us, this creates the illusion of movement with the reality of chaos. When everything is important, nothing is. So before

By Erika Trautman, Meritage EOSi  | When companies rush to adopt AI, they’re seeking a promise — faster output, smarter decisions, instant innovation. But AI doesn’t change who you are — it amplifies who you are. It accelerates alignment if your teams are strong, and confusion if they’re not. In this piece, Erika Trautman explores why successful AI transformation starts not with technology, but with culture and structure — and how building a strong business operating system can help your organization harness AI for real momentum. To read the full blog post, click here.

By Alex Hodgkin, Meritage EOSi  | When a first-time ETA CEO takes the helm, the to-do list is endless. The smartest move in those early months? Installing a Business Operating System (BOS) — the soft infrastructure that turns strategy into day-to-day execution. Drawing on research co-authored with Yale School of Management, I share practical guidance for search-fund and ETA leaders on when and how to implement EOS®, align stakeholders, and build disciplined, high-performing organizations. To read the full blog post, click here.

By Alex Hodgkin, Meritage EOSi  | When a first-time ETA CEO takes the helm, the to-do list is endless. The smartest move in those early months? Installing a Business Operating System (BOS) — the soft infrastructure that turns strategy into day-to-day execution. Drawing on research co-authored with Yale School of Management, Alex Hodgkin shares practical guidance for search-fund and ETA leaders on when and how to implement EOS®, align stakeholders, and build disciplined, high-performing organizations. To read the full blog post, click here.