I vividly recall the first-time CEO telling her managers in an SLT meeting how she loved EOS®. I was about to cry as she said this. This CEO is very intelligent, an academic, and knows business theory inside and out. Her brilliant mind does not pair well with “Let’s play business with EOS®.” She knows better. She always knows what needs to be done. She’s good at simple action plans and always thinks in terms of ‘we’ rather than ‘I.’

So what gives? Why is EOS® seemingly top-of-mind for this paint-by-numbers way of playing business, which is so formulaic, unoriginal, and lacking in heart and soul?

In this discussion, I’m going to give the academic term for EOS® and similar tools, how it originated (and very few people know this), and why it will go by the wayside in a few years. Then, we’ll get this young CEO’s mind back on track, thinking clearly and simply.