S1E17: Permission to be Dangerous | Pat Gillespie & Rachel Michaud

When someone recommends a good book, few people read it right away. Rachel Michaud, Integrator™ and vice president of Gillespie Group, is an exception. After two people recommended that she read a book from the EOS® Traction Library, Rachel bought it, breezed through it, and within months the company was running on EOS, full-steam ahead.

Pat Gillespie, the company’s founder, CEO, and Visionary, reflects that EOS described his vision for Gillespie Group to a tee. 

In this episode, Pat and Rachel share highlights of their EOS journey and action steps for becoming an aligned leadership team.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s healthy to have some conflict with your Visionary or Integrator™ when starting EOS.
• Take time as a Visionary/Integrator team to build a vision detailing what you want your company to look like.
• The more aligned you are with your Visionary or Integrator, the more effective you can be.

Some Questions Asked:

• What were the early days of the EOS journey like for Pat and Rachel?
• What are some of Pat’s biggest pain points as a Visionary?
• Why does EOS stress Same Page Meetings™ so much?

Alignment Launches Businesses to New Heights

Pat and Rachel were sold on EOS from the moment they started Gillespie Group on the system. The book Rocket Fuel is what gave them the verbiage and permission they needed to “be dangerous” and grow fast. 

Rachel shares that while there was some conflict between her and Pat during the early days of implementation, they learned that it was ultimately in their favor.

“I think that there has to be healthy tension between a Visionary and an Integrator or else you simply will not move forward… We had to move from a ‘me’ to a ‘we’ mentality.” — Rachel [13:48]

Rachel expands that her and Pat’s thought processes are naturally very different, and the Same Page Meetings have helped them understand each other better and communicate effectively. The pair has found that if you get away from Same Page Meetings, role clarity quickly disintegrates.

“We’ve never had a problem where we know we can’t get on the same page … It’s [ultimately] not about the Visionary or the Integrator … It’s about moving the entire group forward in a professional, positive way.” — Pat [27:28] 

The more alignment there is between Visionary and Integrator, from values to vision to role clarity, the farther your business will go.

If you’re interested in learning how to use the EOS in your business or how to have vulnerable, authentic conversations with your leadership team, don’t miss this episode of Rocket Fuel™. 

Learn More: 

• Gillespie Group
• Pat’s LinkedIn profile
• Rachel’s LinkedIn profile
• “Rocket Fuel” by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters
• Rocket Fuel University™ 
• Strategic Coach