How Effective Leaders Manage Personal Chaos

As an EOS Implementer, it is a continuous journey of learning and mastery. I often talk to my clients about how the Entrepreneurial Operating System helps bring balance to one's life. I emphasize how important it is to take a "Clarity Break." It's usually in the context of business chaos.

You know the feeling: there are 20 issues to solve and you have numerous deadlines in seemingly unreasonable time frames. Without realizing it, you lose focus and your ability to prioritize and make good decisions is compromised. You are ineffective. You need a timeout to regain your focus. We call that a "Clarity Break."

Managing Personal Chaos

The same is true for personal chaos. About a month ago, my wife and I were on a Harley ride with friends when a tragic accident occurred to the two bikers in front of us. Within five seconds, two people died, a third was critically injured, and we were in the middle of an accident scene. The four hours that followed seemed to take forever, yet they were a blur.

What I didn't realize was that this personal trauma really required me to take a clarity break to get a grip on personal chaos. While the accident kept replaying in my head like a never-ending movie, I tried to pour myself into my work. What happened was that my session ratings started to slide below normal. Was it me or just tough sessions? I was frustrated.

Then by the grace of God (though it didn't feel that way at the moment), I had three sessions postpone to a later date and I had an open week in my schedule. During that week it hit me. I needed some down time to process what had happened, clear my head, and refocus. A CLARITY BREAK!

Lessons Learned from a Clarity Break

So here are some lessons learned:

• You can't always "toughen up" and muscle through life (even stubborn Germans like me) as though nothing happened.
• You can't be at your best when your head isn't clear.
• Clarity breaks are as much about personal stuff as business stuff (it's about being human).
• Life is fragile and can change in an instant. In this case, three families were changed permanently and several others were significantly affected.
• You never know when it's your time, so savor every moment and never take a goodbye lightly.
• Keep balance in your life. Work is important, but not as important as time with family and the relationships you have.
• Life (and business) is about people. EOS is about PEOPLE and it is a great toolset to help you maximize your relationships.

Life is short, keep it balanced, and appreciate the people around you, for you never know when they may be gone. For me, EOS has helped me get balance in my life from a business to personal perspective. Now I understand how it can apply from a personal to business perspective.

Next Steps

• Check the strength of your company with the EOS Organizational Checkup.
• Discover how to be a great boss—download a free chapter of How to Be a Great Boss
• Request a free 90-Minute Meeting with an EOS Implementer to get a clear picture of what it looks like to run your company on EOS.

This article was originally published on the Reventus blog.