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Get A Grip: An Entrepreneurial Fable . . . Your Journey to Get Real, Get Simple, and Get Results
It's time to take your business to the next level.
Eileen Sharp and Vic Hightower were frustrated. After years of profitable, predictable growth, Swan Services was in a rut. Meetings were called and discussions held, but few decisions were made and even less got done. People were pointing fingers and assigning blame, but nothing happened to solve Swan's mounting problems. It felt as though they were working harder than ever but with less impact. The company Eileen and Vic had founded and built for 10 years was a different place. It just wasn't fun anymore.
Their story is not unusual. The challenges they were facing are common, predictable, and solvable. Get A Grip tells the story of how Swan Services resolves its issues by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. With the help of EOS, Eileen, Vic, and their leadership team master a set of managerial tools that allow them to get traction on their business, grow the business, and deliver better results for clients.
The story of Swan Services is a fable, but the Entrepreneurial Operating System® is very real and has helped thousands of businesses worldwide. A complete entrepreneurial toolkit, EOS has helped thousands of businesses get to where they want to be.
In Get A Grip , learn how Swan Services leaders learned to develop and commit to a clear vision, establish focus, build discipline, and create a healthier and more cohesive team.
With characters and situations created from collective business experiences and stories, Get A Grip is a fable that will ring true for entrepreneurial leaders the world over and guide them to get their companies on track.
Eileen Sharp and Vic Hightower were frustrated. After years of profitable, predictable growth, Swan Services was in a rut. Meetings were called and discussions held, but few decisions were made and even less got done. People were pointing fingers and assigning blame, but nothing happened to solve Swan's mounting problems. It felt as though they were working harder than ever but with less impact. The company Eileen and Vic had founded and built for 10 years was a different place. It just wasn't fun anymore.
Their story is not unusual. The challenges they were facing are common, predictable, and solvable. Get A Grip tells the story of how Swan Services resolves its issues by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System®. With the help of EOS, Eileen, Vic, and their leadership team master a set of managerial tools that allow them to get traction on their business, grow the business, and deliver better results for clients.
The story of Swan Services is a fable, but the Entrepreneurial Operating System® is very real and has helped thousands of businesses worldwide. A complete entrepreneurial toolkit, EOS has helped thousands of businesses get to where they want to be.
In Get A Grip , learn how Swan Services leaders learned to develop and commit to a clear vision, establish focus, build discipline, and create a healthier and more cohesive team.
With characters and situations created from collective business experiences and stories, Get A Grip is a fable that will ring true for entrepreneurial leaders the world over and guide them to get their companies on track.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
About the author
Gino Wickman
16 books209 followersAn entrepreneur since the age of 21, Gino has always had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive.
At 25, Gino took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company.
Gino then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses.
At 25, Gino took over the family business, which was deeply in debt and in need of help. After turning the company around and running it for seven years, he and his partners successfully sold the company.
Gino then set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
November 22, 2018
A business fable that follows the steps laid out in the book Traction. In the story, we are watching the business Swan Solutions struggle. They find their hero Alan who walks them down the 2-year journey to implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
The is a must read if you are a leader implementing EOS - or a leader struggling to get your business or team back on track to get better results.
The is a must read if you are a leader implementing EOS - or a leader struggling to get your business or team back on track to get better results.
December 5, 2019
An easy read that walks you through the EOS plan using an example of a company and it’s employees. Our company uses EOS and this is a great intro into learning about EOS and how it applies in the real world.
January 1, 2022
3.5 Stars
A good book for any business owners whose business has stalled and how to get the right staff in the right positions to help it to the next level. By using a fabled company it helps the reader to understand the examples given.
Worth the read
A good book for any business owners whose business has stalled and how to get the right staff in the right positions to help it to the next level. By using a fabled company it helps the reader to understand the examples given.
Worth the read
September 4, 2019
Meh. Another "how to run your business" book. As good as any I guess.
February 4, 2015
This seems very old-school at least for someone coming from a lean, progressive startup. The book uses the Socratic method to tell the story about a nondescript bureaucratic company being turned into a different bureaucratic company all through the eyes of a team of stereotypical management staff. The writing is elementary and trite. Everything is presented in 'See Jane run!' 'See Bill file a TPS report' style which comes off as dry and laughably contrived. It's the ABC After School Special of business methodology books and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who was serious about treating their people with respect and improving their business.
August 30, 2017
Just more on the "book of Gino" series where traction is the answer to every problem in all businesses.
it's not a BAD book, it's just not good. I think the part that bugs me about most of the traction books is I have also read the source material he bases his stuff on, so everything just feels diluted and not distilled. I'm not a cliffs notes kind of person, I like full detail and to use the parts I want, where this takes a stab at telling me the best parts and at times I really disagree with it. And when I do disagree, I get frustrated as I know he's not delivering the whole lesson, just the part that fits his theory.
it's not a BAD book, it's just not good. I think the part that bugs me about most of the traction books is I have also read the source material he bases his stuff on, so everything just feels diluted and not distilled. I'm not a cliffs notes kind of person, I like full detail and to use the parts I want, where this takes a stab at telling me the best parts and at times I really disagree with it. And when I do disagree, I get frustrated as I know he's not delivering the whole lesson, just the part that fits his theory.
February 28, 2014
I am an entrepreneur and am always interested and learning from my peers and fellow entrepreneurs. Wickman and Paton wrote a great follow on to "Traction" demonstrate what it looks like to actually implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in your business through this fable.
If you want to know what if feels like to stand at the reigns of a high growth entrepreneurial business through the evolutionary and sometimes revolutionary periods that it takes to break through the ceiling you should read "Get a Grip."
If you want to know what if feels like to stand at the reigns of a high growth entrepreneurial business through the evolutionary and sometimes revolutionary periods that it takes to break through the ceiling you should read "Get a Grip."
December 31, 2016
You couldn't call it "well written," but it serves its purpose very well, which is a narrative form of how the EOS system works. It really helps Traction make more sense, and give context for how to get through the system. If you've read Traction and are seriously considering the EOS system, it's definitely worth your time to read it.
August 23, 2017
This is a good fable of the application of Gina's first book "Traction." If you haven't read it and you're in business for yourself, read it now. This talks through some of the problems with implementation of the Traction principles and helps you with the solutions. I love fables and learn better by reading through fables than any other way. Highly recommended.
August 13, 2018
I felt like this was a realistic approach to implementation of EOS. The situations are pretty real and the solutions and strategies employed to handle difficult situations were priceless. I'll be sharing...
October 8, 2019
Even better than Traction
I have read Traction several times now and each time felt like I didn't quite fully get how EOS could/should be run. Get A Grip gives a clear and very thorough understanding of what it actually might look like to implement EOS. I could actually envision my own company in the characters of the story, even though we have a completely different kind of business from the one in the story.
I was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling, too. I feared that it might be a "nice try" kind of story, but it was well written and kept me interested all the way through.
I can see re-reading sections of the book as we tackle our own implantation as an inspirational primer for each component.
I have read Traction several times now and each time felt like I didn't quite fully get how EOS could/should be run. Get A Grip gives a clear and very thorough understanding of what it actually might look like to implement EOS. I could actually envision my own company in the characters of the story, even though we have a completely different kind of business from the one in the story.
I was pleasantly surprised by the storytelling, too. I feared that it might be a "nice try" kind of story, but it was well written and kept me interested all the way through.
I can see re-reading sections of the book as we tackle our own implantation as an inspirational primer for each component.
April 1, 2018
It's rare for a business book to blend fiction and strategy into one story. But Get A Grip does just that.
I read Gino Wickman's Traction about a month ago and had spent the last few weeks trying to figure out how to implement the system of business management outlined in that book.
This book describes EXACTLY how to do just that, and in an engaging narrative format. It takes the big ideas from Traction and tells a story about a struggling company uses the system to turn their business around.
The crazy thing is this book has drama, twists, and will even leave you with a smile on your face. Traction was a really good book. This is a great one.
I read Gino Wickman's Traction about a month ago and had spent the last few weeks trying to figure out how to implement the system of business management outlined in that book.
This book describes EXACTLY how to do just that, and in an engaging narrative format. It takes the big ideas from Traction and tells a story about a struggling company uses the system to turn their business around.
The crazy thing is this book has drama, twists, and will even leave you with a smile on your face. Traction was a really good book. This is a great one.
November 25, 2019
For companies of a certain age or a certain size, the Entrepreneurial Operating System could very well be a path out of mediocrity and into smart, sustainable, manageable growth. In "Get A Grip," Gino Wickman and Mike Paton show how it's done by telling the story of a fictional company (Swan Services) that is stuck on a plateau – flat revenue, frazzled executives, mediocre work. With the introduction of EOS, some bracing conversations, and the implementation of some tried-and-true procedures and processes, the company turns itself around. Our own company is at the front-end of this process, as well. We're hoping that the story of Swan Services is a harbinger of good things to come.
March 3, 2020
A fabulous tale of EOS Implementation
This book "Get A Grip" is the first book I've read about the EOS, followed by the TRACTION book. "Get A Grip" has not only narrated in vivid detail the tale of an EOS Implementation in a fictional company, but also succinctly explained every one of the six parts of the EOS as well as each one of the 20 tools used in the whole process. I am really awed by the simplicity, pragmatism and the enormous power of the EOS as the way of how any business should be run. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and am quite enthused about becoming a proponent of EOS for entrepreneurial businesses.
This book "Get A Grip" is the first book I've read about the EOS, followed by the TRACTION book. "Get A Grip" has not only narrated in vivid detail the tale of an EOS Implementation in a fictional company, but also succinctly explained every one of the six parts of the EOS as well as each one of the 20 tools used in the whole process. I am really awed by the simplicity, pragmatism and the enormous power of the EOS as the way of how any business should be run. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and am quite enthused about becoming a proponent of EOS for entrepreneurial businesses.
April 6, 2021
Saccharine fables such as this only exist to demonstrate the implementation of certain principles and values. Yes, they are eye rolling and cliched. But if in the end it leads you to succeed, maybe the cheese was worth it.
This book exists solely to introduce the Traction / EOS system. For details on that system, Traction is a better book. But I can appreciate the value of this book existing as a canned explanation and story of how the EOS rollout works.
I read this after Traction, so it didn't do much for me. But as a convert to the principles taught by Traction and EOS, I support this as an introduction. Cheese notwithstanding.
This book exists solely to introduce the Traction / EOS system. For details on that system, Traction is a better book. But I can appreciate the value of this book existing as a canned explanation and story of how the EOS rollout works.
I read this after Traction, so it didn't do much for me. But as a convert to the principles taught by Traction and EOS, I support this as an introduction. Cheese notwithstanding.
December 4, 2017
This book was recommended to me by a friend who is a raving fan of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). Having read the book, I now understand why. Over the years, I've read a number of books on setting up a system to run a business, but this book is my new favorite. The authors do a great job of outlining and integrating six components: vision, people, data, processes, issues, and traction. I really liked both the practical tools and the meeting rhythm (weekly, quarterly, and annual meetings) which drive accountability to achieve the vision.
November 10, 2020
So many people are talking about EOS, and maybe it's right for your organization. But if you're like me - an owner of a 1-person business - EOS and this book are just not needed. The book covers a small to mid-size business with a few employees, and it details the company's path into EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). The story takes you through meetings and planning and restructuring the biz, and it's filled with acronyms and buzz phrases and all that I honestly dislike about big orgs. I did get some good info from it. But I had to talk myself into finishing this one.
June 13, 2022
Good For What It Is
For those who enjoy fable-format business books, or those considering an initial investigation into EOS, this book has merit. However, like more business fables, it’s written at a low level (I’m guessing eighth grade?). Its language and plot structure can come off as Pollyanna-ish, and its characters are two-dimensional. Nevertheless, it’s a quick read and a good intro to the material. For a more fulsome discussion of its concepts, read Traction (the original core text on EOS) by Gino Wickman.
For those who enjoy fable-format business books, or those considering an initial investigation into EOS, this book has merit. However, like more business fables, it’s written at a low level (I’m guessing eighth grade?). Its language and plot structure can come off as Pollyanna-ish, and its characters are two-dimensional. Nevertheless, it’s a quick read and a good intro to the material. For a more fulsome discussion of its concepts, read Traction (the original core text on EOS) by Gino Wickman.
April 9, 2024
The EOS books do become somewhat repetitive, but I imagine that's by design. This is more of a story told from the perspective of a small business trying to break through a plateau and implementing EOS. You see the struggle between the visionary and the integrator. The awkwardness of implementing a new system, as well as getting used to new levels of candor. I do wish that it got a bit more into what happens at the individual contributor level. As an individual contributor at an EOS shop I'm still a bit lost.
March 26, 2018
If you own or manage a business that is midsized and are frustrated about not getting as much done as you should, then this and the family of Traction books are important to read. My company struggles with execution after setting a great vision and objectives. This system will hopefully make a big difference for us. Get a Grip is a fable depiction of the use of the Traction system and very helpful as a complement to Traction.
June 15, 2020
Traction. I highly recommend reading this book in parallel or before / after Gino Wickman’s book Traction. This is such a well written fable to paint a clear picture for how to put this into practice and perhaps more important, in what sequence. I enjoyed the challenging characters and other leadership lessons about “how” along the way. Pick this one up soon if you are building your business or turning it around!
August 4, 2022
This is a fantastic installment of the Traction library by Wickman. Having been involved in frustrating corporate meetings before, I could relate to the examples in this story. Sometimes business fables can come across really cheesy, I always hold Lencioni as the highest standard for business fables. Gino Wickman meets that standard in this book. A must read for any leadership group operating on EOS.
March 4, 2024
This book is my recommended read for anyone looking into EOS. Much more approachable than Traction and allows reader to understand what their organization might be.
My rating system is as follows:
1 - Stopped reading before completing as didn't intrigue me enough (therefore rating incomplete)
2 - Completed reading but did not enjoy
3 - Enjoyed but not enough to want to keep on bookshelf
4 - Enjoyed and want to keep on bookshelf
5 - I'm actively telling people how great this book is!
My rating system is as follows:
1 - Stopped reading before completing as didn't intrigue me enough (therefore rating incomplete)
2 - Completed reading but did not enjoy
3 - Enjoyed but not enough to want to keep on bookshelf
4 - Enjoyed and want to keep on bookshelf
5 - I'm actively telling people how great this book is!
April 19, 2024
This story in the “EOS Library” helps in understanding the EOS process. I’m deep into reading all the books as we create and install our own OS, informed in part by Traction. It was simple and easy to read, just not really very interesting (and a little cliche). Felt like a Patrick Lencioni book, but not in a good way. Still recommend if you’re self-implementing and want more insights on the process.
October 15, 2018
The "fable" nature of this book means everything is super.crafted and a bit heavy handed at times. Read for a work assignment. I think the idea of shorter focused meetings is important, but there is no information on how things get done between meetings - no help on getting the WORK done when life is busy. Overall, for me, lots of new ideas and approaches, but not life changing.
August 28, 2019
I thought the layout of the story integrating applicable business format was genius. I thought the story dragged though. I felt I was being told rather than drawn into the tale. But, a very good book if you need to do a business checklist for your company to get things running smoothly again and get profits back on track.
January 9, 2022
This book brings “Traction” to life. I felt like I was reading my journals from the past nine years of entrepreneurship except with action items on how to stop the madness and build on the greatness. I cannot recommend more - to entrepreneurs, their leadership teams, and every member of their organization.
January 12, 2022
I thought it was a great way to show how Level 10 meetings are run. It was also a solid read with characters that felt like versions of coworkers I've worked with before.
I feel it's more useful after attending a few Level 10 meetings first, but there were some things that I didn't quite understand since I learn better through practice. That's the only reason for the 4 stars, otherwise it's good.
I feel it's more useful after attending a few Level 10 meetings first, but there were some things that I didn't quite understand since I learn better through practice. That's the only reason for the 4 stars, otherwise it's good.
May 8, 2017
Very clear with a unique perspective oriented entirely around particable suggestions. Only reason it doesn't get a 5 is because I haven't yet been able to see if it will make a difference in my company
April 29, 2018
Smart Dolphins moved to using "EOS" and it has been great. The fable is a little weak, but maybe good to see the concepts in action in a "real world" setting. "Traction" is the non-fable version of this. Also, Rocket Fuel is another related, good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews