About four years ago, I began working with a company to implement EOS. The business owner had been successfully leading the day-to-day operations for over a decade. As the company grew, they recognized the need to step back and elevate their role—focusing more on vision, big relationships, and long-term strategy.
During the EOS implementation process, we’d introduced the concept of the Visionary and Integrator. The Visionary is the big-picture thinker, while the Integrator manages the day-to-day, keeps the team aligned, and drives execution. About six months into the implementation, the Visionary hired a capable finance leader, and together, they decided this person could step into the Integrator role.
For several years, it appeared to work. The Visionary stepped back, and the Integrator took the reins.
They grew from one to three locations, revenues were up, and they had some very profitable years. But three years in, it became clear that things weren’t going as well as they seemed. The business was off track, and the Integrator—despite their talent—was in over their head. They hadn’t raised a hand or voiced concerns.
Fortunately, the Visionary recognized the issues in time, made a leadership change, and over the past several months has been turning things around—rebuilding the team and getting the business back on track.
After a long conversation about what went wrong, the biggest takeaway was this: “Trust—but verify.”
That phrase, made famous by Ronald Reagan, is something we emphasize on Day 1 of EOS implementation—especially when introducing the EOS Scorecard.
The Scorecard provides a weekly pulse on the business. It includes 5–15 key activity-based numbers that cover all major functions—sales, marketing, operations, and finance. These aren’t just outcomes, like revenue—they’re leading indicators that predict results and alert you to issues before they grow.
In this client’s case, the Scorecard metrics weren’t giving the owner the data required to get an accurate pulse on the business. Without that visibility, early warning signs were missed until the problems were too big to ignore.
Fortunately, the Visionary now has things turned around and is getting the business back on-track!
Here’s the lesson: Even when you’ve got a strong Integrator, you can’t fully step away from the Scorecard. It’s your tool to stay connected to the business, without being in the weeds. It gives you insight, helps you ask the right questions, and ensures accountability across the organization.
Empower your team. Trust your leaders. Hold them Accountable, but don’t abdicate responsibility.
Trust—but verify.
If you’re running on EOS and are not sure your Scorecard metrics are giving you the pulse you need, let’s talk. Having the right numbers in front of you each week could be the difference between drifting off track or staying on course for the long haul.