Implementer Posts
Helping Young Leaders Gain Their Voice
Part 4 of my interview Mark Urso, the owner and president of Bear Contracting, a heavy civil contractor out of Bridgeport, WV. Me: Can you share we us some highlights of how your young leaders have grown throughout this process? Mark: “Perhaps the biggest thing is that they’ve learned HOW to make good decisions. For example, how to decide whether or not to promote someone. There’s a simple tool called “GWC,” which stands for Gets It, Wants It, and Capacity to Do It.” You ask that question all the time and then the younger generation gets to the point where they can say, “Hey, I’m going to make that decision. This is who I think can handle the project.” “they’ve learned HOW to make decisions.” “The concept of ‘Open and Honest’ is unbelievably valuable because so many people in my organization were used to me doing all the talking, and based on
Steady Hands in Stormy Waters: How Great Leaders Stay Centered When the World Tilts
When the world tilts—economies falter, markets shift, or internal chaos threatens your momentum—your team doesn’t just need a strategy. They need your steadiness. In times of uncertainty, it’s not the loudest or the boldest who lead best. It’s the clearest, calmest, and most consistent. Return to Purpose When everything feels like it’s spinning, reconnect with why your company exists in the first place. What impact are you here to make? What values define how you operate? The most grounded leaders stay centered by anchoring every decision in their core purpose. That clarity becomes a compass—cutting through noise and distraction. Simplify the Focus During uncertain times, complexity is your enemy. Great leaders narrow the focus. What are the 1-3 things your team must get right in the next 90 days? What short-term goals support long-term stability? Simplifying your priorities helps your team feel confident, aligned, and productive—even when the outside world
Make Data-Driven Decisions in Your Business with EOS®
At one point or another, most small business owners have had to rely on gut feelings to make an important decision. But no matter how good their instincts are, no one can afford to run their business on intuition alone in today’s competitive landscape. Even if a decision feels right to an owner, having solid data to back it up gives them (and their team) more confidence in their choices. Chaos Without A Compass Before I discovered EOS®, I ran a company with 650 employees. Without a compass to guide me, I sometimes felt like I was spinning my wheels and guessing what to do. I admit there were days when I let my heart make business decisions that maybe weren’t in the organization’s best interests. It turned out I needed objective numbers to help me make better decisions based on facts, not just feelings. But once I had the
You Can’t Do It Alone
It is broody hen time in our coop. That’s when something flips in a hen’s brain that lets her know now is the time to become a mama. The switch doesn’t flip in all hens, but when it does, I know it can be contagious. I’ve had as many as three broody hens at one time. Once she becomes broody, a hen’s first step is to gather her clutch of eggs. During my first experience with a broody hen, I wasn’t armed with all the knowledge I have now, and I ended up with one hen sitting on more than 18 eggs. It was clear (to us, if not to her) that she couldn’t spread her wings wide enough to incubate all those eggs. Armed with more knowledge and experience, I now limit each hen’s clutch of eggs to a dozen. Considering not all the eggs will hatch and that
Marketing Strategy: Say the Right Thing to the Right People
Let’s clear something up right now: marketing isn’t about doing more. It’s about saying less, to the right people. In EOS, your Marketing Strategy isn’t a 50-page plan with hashtags, branding workshops, or mood boards. It’s four simple questions that give you laser focus on how to attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones. Yes, repel. More on that in a second. The 4 Questions That Actually Matter EOS Marketing Strategy includes: That’s it. No fluff. Just four questions that act like your comms plan for the civilian world. Veteran-Owned? This Is Built for You If you’re a veteran running a business, you already know the value of simplicity and precision. Your military background trained you to communicate clearly, act decisively, and stick to the mission. That’s exactly what the EOS Marketing Strategy does. It strips away the jargon and gets you focused on: Too many business owners try to be everything to everyone.
Processes, Procedures, SOPs & Standard Work… What’s the difference?
“What do you mean by ‘process’?” is a question I hear a lot in the session rooms. The fact is terms like process; procedure; SOP all get used interchangeably, but they are distinctly different. Let’s break down these terms more clearly — so you and your team can move from confusion to clarity. Processes: The Big Picture A process is a high-level sequence of activities that transforms inputs into outputs. Think of it as the what and why behind the work. Example: The “Customer Onboarding Process” covers steps from initial contact to a fully onboarded client. Key points: Big picture flow, often cross-functional, focuses on outcomes. Procedures: The How-To Guide A procedure is a more detailed description of how to carry out a specific step in a process. Example: Within onboarding, a “New Client Setup Procedure” might describe exactly how to enter information into your CRM. Key points: Step-by-step guidance,