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EOS, Ego, and the Power of Speaking Up with Brett Stewart

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Apr 15, 2025

Guest

Brett Stewart

Brett Stewart, an EOS implementer, shares his journey in building successful teams for professional service firms. He emphasizes the importance of healthy communication and defining roles within teams to enhance collaboration. Brett discusses the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and its role in simplifying business processes while managing risk. By fostering accountability and structuring operations, he helps leaders focus on what truly matters. His insights on resilience and gratitude provide a powerful framework for overcoming failures and achieving sustainable growth.

01:07:57

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ANECDOTE

Brett's Business Failure Story

Brett Stewart recounted investing in a diabetes healthcare company that ultimately failed due to risky decisions.
He took full responsibility for the business failure and lost almost everything he had invested.

insights

INSIGHT

EOS Tools vs. Healthy Teams

EOS tools can grow a business and provide traction but won't build a healthy team alone.
Healthy teams require open communication where team members feel safe to speak up and challenge ideas.

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ADVICE

Foster Respectful Team Conflict

Foster a culture of respectful conflict where team members feel safe to discuss and debate issues.
Leaders must create an environment where feedback is welcomed and not stifled by strong personalities.

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Navigating Business Challenges and Values

01:30 • 20min

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Navigating Strategic Frameworks and Accountability in Business

21:41 • 2min

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Implementing EOS: Overcoming Resistance and Enhancing Structure

23:59 • 17min

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Exploring Accountability and Clarity in Operations

40:59 • 2min

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Commitment Over Compliance

42:30 • 5min

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The Power of Reflection for Productivity

47:48 • 6min

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Navigating Goal Setting in EOS

53:24 • 12min

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Resilience Through Faith and Gratitude

01:05:51 • 2min

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Scaling Up

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This book, written by Verne Harnish, provides a comprehensive framework for scaling businesses. It focuses on the four major decision areas every company must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. The book includes the updated One-Page Strategic Plan and the Rockefeller Habits Checklist, which have been used by over 40,000 firms to scale successfully. Harnish draws on decades of experience advising CEOs and executives, emphasizing the importance of routines, effective meetings, and clear communication to drive business growth and maintain organizational health.

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In 'A World Without Email', Cal Newport argues that the constant digital communication, which he terms the 'hyperactive hive mind', has become a productivity disaster. He contends that this workflow, driven by email and other messaging tools, reduces profitability, slows economic growth, and makes workers miserable. Newport proposes a workplace where clear processes, not haphazard messaging, define task management. He advocates for each person working on fewer tasks but doing them better, with significant investment in support to reduce administrative burdens. The book lays out principles and concrete instructions for streamlining important communication and reducing the central role of inboxes and chat channels in the workplace.

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In this book, Daniel Kahneman takes readers on a tour of the mind, explaining how the two systems of thought shape our judgments and decisions. System 1 is fast, automatic, and emotional, while System 2 is slower, effortful, and logical. Kahneman discusses the impact of cognitive biases, the difficulties of predicting future happiness, and the effects of overconfidence on corporate strategies. He offers practical insights into how to guard against mental glitches and how to benefit from slow thinking in both personal and business life. The book also explores the distinction between the 'experiencing self' and the 'remembering self' and their roles in our perception of happiness.

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Get a Grip on Your Business

Gino Wickman

In Traction, Gino Wickman provides a systematic approach to achieving business success through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). The book focuses on six key components: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. It helps business leaders clarify their vision, align their leadership team, solve common business problems, and foster healthy communication and discipline within the organization. The EOS system is designed to help businesses overcome frustrations such as lack of control, people issues, insufficient profit, hitting the ceiling, and feeling stuck. The book offers practical tools, real-world examples, and actionable strategies to drive sustainable growth and improve business operations.

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Rocket Fuel

The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business

Gino Wickman

Mark C. Winters

Rocket Fuel details the integral roles of the Visionary and Integrator and explains how an effective relationship between the two can help a business thrive. The Visionary is typically the idea generator and strategic thinker, while the Integrator is the manager who ensures the business operates smoothly. The book provides assessments to help determine whether you are a Visionary or an Integrator and offers advice on how to find and work with your complementary partner. It emphasizes that when these two roles work together, they can achieve significant growth and success for the company.

Watch the YouTube version of this episode HERE

Are you looking to learn from another lawyer about lessons learned in the legal space? In this episode of the Maximum Lawyer podcast, host Tyson Mutrux interviews Brett Stewart about his career journey, highlighting both his successes and failures. Brett shares valuable insights into the risks he took in business, the challenges of leadership, and the importance of fostering a healthy team environment.

Brett chats about the need to create a healthy team for a successful law firm. A healthy team has good conflict where people can share ideas and there is a sense of security where leaders will appreciate the feedback or thoughts of those under them. Another thing to consider is to establish team roles and who should do what. It is important to understand from the perspective of the owner how you want your team to look. Consult those on the team to get opinions on who should be responsible for what and how the team should function. It is best to do this collaboratively to ensure everyone is happy and knows their roles.

Using EOS systems is an integral part of running a successful firm. It is important to figure out how to use a system to fit your goals, without weakening it. EOS can make complicated systems or processes a lot easier, but it shouldn't be used to manage or control every part of your firm. Brett shares how EOS should be used to shine a light on the important things that need it and your staff should manage everything else.

Listen in to learn more!

01:34 Risks in Business Decisions

05:40 Consequences of Business Decisions

07:30 Building a Healthy Team

12:00 Team Decision-Making Process

15:34 Team Values and Characteristics

18:13 Identifying Table Stakes Values

26:23 Complexity in Multi-Niche Businesses

33:02 Focus System of EOS

36:17 Time Management in Meetings

49:01 Managing Depression and Work

Tune in to today’s episode and checkout the full show notes here.

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