It is always a challenge to keep individuals and organizations focused, but that’s what great leaders do. Distractions abound, but great leaders have an internal compass that keeps them from drifting off course. Two things set your bearings – your why and your what. For companies implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System^®, those two things combine to form your Core Focus™. Once you define your Core Focus, you’ll be less likely to be distracted by “shiny stuff.”

One of the core EOS^® tools for helping a leader determine whether someone is in the right seat is GWC™, which stands for Get it, Want it, and Capacity. When evaluating whether someone GWC’s their job, you must ask three questions – Do they Get it? Do they Want it? Do they have the Capacity to do it? – and answer either "Yes" or "No" to each question. "Maybe" is not an option.

If any one of the three answers is "No,” then that person is in the wrong seat. It’s a very simple and powerful exercise, but when leaders begin to use this tool, they sometimes experience confusion between “Get it” and “Capacity.” Here’s the difference.

Here’s a great quote from Ray Kroc, the entrepreneur who took over the McDonald’s corporation in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Ray said, “I didn’t invent the hamburger. I just took it more seriously than anyone else.”

Right now, countless companies, including our clients, are thriving in these challenging times. They're building buildings, managing money, manufacturing goods, fixing computers, running restaurants, managing properties, distributing goods, and providing services. The list goes on.

These companies excel despite numerous competitors, tough economic conditions, and pricing pressures. Why? Because they take their businesses seriously and run them very well.

One of the biggest and fastest impacts you can have on your organization in terms of better communication, accountability, team health, and results is to hold a weekly meeting with your leadership team. Your weekly meeting should focus on making sure everything important is on track and that you’re solving all relevant issues for the week and removing all obstacles and barriers for your people.

In 2010, Gino Wickman shared some of the great lessons and observations he had gleaned from implementing EOS^® with hundreds of entrepreneurial leadership teams. In reflecting on my years as Gino’s business partner and Integrator of EOS Worldwide and my own experiences working with leadership teams, it felt appropriate and timely to confirm and restate those same great lessons.