Barbara had seen initiatives come and go. Her company abandoned its new CRM after six months. Their performance management system created more paperwork than accountability. The “cultural transformation” that transformed nothing.
So when her leadership team announced they were implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), she braced herself for another set of changes that wouldn’t stick.
Two years later, Barbara is one of her company’s biggest EOS champions. Not because she drank the orange Kool-Aid, but because EOS actually made her job easier. “I know we’re not perfect, but EOS has given me hope that things can change.”
The Skeptic’s Journey
If EOS is rolling out to your department and you’re skeptical, you’re in good company. Most mid-level managers have been burned by initiatives that promised transformation but delivered frustration.
Here’s what you need to know: Rollout is the process of taking EOS beyond the leadership team to equip everyone with the tools they need to achieve the vision, including you and your team. For a company to reach 80% or better across the Six Key Components of the EOS Model, everyone must understand the vision and consistently use the EOS Foundational Tools (Vision/Traction Organizer, The Accountability Chart, Rocks, The Meeting Pulse, and Scorecard). That’s why your role in Rollout matters so much. You’re the bridge between the vision and your team’s daily work.
Here’s what’s different about EOS: it isn’t asking you to take on more. It’s giving you a better way to manage what you already do.
The manager in our story, Barbara, discovered that the Level 10 Meetings and Scorecard Measurables she dreaded eliminated endless check-ins from her boss and actually gave her time back. The Rocks she worried about gave her permission to say no to distractions. And her team finally understood the company’s direction and how their individual roles were essential to everyone’s long-term success.
Related Reading: What the Heck is an EOS Rollout?
Four Ways to Get the Most from EOS as a Manager
1. Engage like it’s staying, because it is. EOS isn’t a flavor-of-the-month initiative. Your leadership team has committed to running the company this way. The managers who thrive are those who lean in and engage early rather than waiting to see if it fades.
2. Use the EOS Tools to protect your time. When someone tries to pile on another “priority,” point to your committed Rocks and push back with confidence. Use the Delegate and Elevate Tool to protect your energy, and define processes and Measurables to clarify expectations. The EOS structure creates clarity and freedom for you and your team.
3. Surface Issues early instead of suffering silently. EOS gives you a systematic way to raise problems without it feeling like complaining. When something’s blocking your progress, put it on the Issues List. Instead of having the same conversation five times with five different people, bring the issue to your Level 10 Meeting and solve it once and for all.
4. Model the behavior for your team. How you talk about EOS shapes how your team receives it. If you roll your eyes, they’ll disengage. If you demonstrate that this is simply how we work now, they’ll follow your lead. Become an EOS champion, and you’ll create momentum that will ripple across the entire team.
The accountability you might fear comes with clarity you’ve probably never had. For the first time, you’ll know exactly what success looks like and the specific outcomes you can actually deliver.
That’s what’s in it for you.
If you’re a manager in a company Running on EOS, you don’t have to figure this out alone. The more purely you and your team use the EOS Tools, the easier your job becomes.
EOS Academy helps managers like you deepen your understanding of the EOS Model and apply the tools with confidence. When you strengthen your ability to run great Level 10 Meetings, manage with a Scorecard, and execute on Rocks, you gain clarity, accountability, and traction.
Explore EOS Academy and take the next step in becoming the kind of leader your team deserves.
Marisa Smith and Beth Fahey are EOS Implementers and co-authors of ROLLOUT: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision (January 2026). The book provides practical guidance for mid-managers on running departmental meetings and becoming effective EOS champions. For free resources, including the Rollout Tracker and Troubleshooting Guide, visit rolloutbook.com.
