EOS Implementer Ken DeWitt reflects on 40 years in business and why he keeps learning as a leader.
After 40 years in business, I’m still finding things I need to learn about leading people.
I spent 25 years building and leading a CPA firm. That work meant casting a vision, earning trust, and helping people accomplish things they never thought possible. For the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as an EOS Implementer, helping leadership teams get what they want from their businesses.
People often ask where I learned to do this work, and I keep coming back to the same answer.
I never stopped being a student.
Grow or Die: A Core Value Worth Living
My EOS training gave me a foundation to build on. Working with leadership teams keeps showing me how much more there is to learn.
The teams I work with bring different personalities, problems, and experiences to the table. My experience helps, and I still need to understand what’s happening with the people in front of me.
That’s why one of EOS Worldwide’s Core Values has always resonated deeply with me: Grow or Die.
Those words are both inspiring and intimidating.
I’ve found growth uncomfortable at times, especially when it means recognizing something I could be doing differently.
What kind of coach would I be if I expected my clients to grow while I stood still?
I’ve found it can be easy to fall back on what I already know. Having someone challenge my thinking helps me look at things I might otherwise miss.
In EOS, we work on Five Leadership Abilities: Simplify, Delegate, Predict, Systemize, and Structure. Which of these abilities would you like to strengthen?
Build the leadership abilities that help your business break through the ceiling.
What I’m Still Learning as an EOS Implementer
Over the years, I’ve sought out teachers wherever I could find them.
My work as an EOS Implementer involves teaching EOS Tools, facilitating clarity and alignment, and coaching leadership teams on accountability. I want to keep improving at each part of that work.
When I’m facilitating, my role is to help the team reach its own conclusions. I need to understand what people are saying and help them work through their thinking, rather than feel responsible for supplying every answer.
That also means being willing to look at my own work. What could I explain more clearly? What haven’t I understood yet? Where do I need help?
I’m still learning to listen, learn from others, and recognize when there’s something I could be doing differently. That feels as relevant to me now as it did earlier in my career.
Who’s Helping You Grow?
Even after all these years, I still need people who will challenge my thinking and help me see what I’m missing.
I encourage leaders to think about who they’re learning from today.
- When was the last time you sought out someone who could teach you something new?
- When did you last challenge yourself to develop a skill that doesn’t come naturally?
That’s why I invest in learning. I want to keep improving at the work I do and be the kind of leader and coach who practices what he asks of others.
Curious about what EOS could look like in your business? A free 90-Minute Meeting gives you and your leadership team an opportunity to explore whether it’s a fit.
An EOS Implementer will learn about your business, introduce the EOS Model and EOS Tools, and walk you through the EOS Process.
Ready to implement EOS?
An EOS Implementer helps your team install the full system and execute it with confidence.
