Ready to read the book Traction® by Gino Wickman? Whether you’re looking for a quick refresh or just dipping your toes into the world of EOS®, Traction has you covered.
Any entrepreneur serious about getting what they want from their business has heard of the Entrepreneurial Operating System®.
This proven set of tools was created by a successful businessman, Gino Wickman, to help entrepreneurs just like him elevate their businesses and reach their goals.
It’s a stellar system. But EOS® implementation is no quick fix. There’s a lot to understand, adopt and scale — including the EOS’ Six Key Components™, the areas every great business must master to thrive.
And whether you’re already an EOS ace or just getting started, there’s one book you won’t be able to put down — Traction®.
Whether you’re looking for a quick refresh on each component, ready to dive deep into how and why to implement them, or just dipping your toes into the world of EOS and all it has to offer, Traction has you covered.
But don’t take our word for it. Check out what these implementation experts have to say (and the top tips they picked up along the way).
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- The book Traction® – A summary: the 411
- Chapter overview challenge: One line, one chapter
- What the experts have to say
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What’s the lowdown from the book Traction®?
First things first: let’s summarize what Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business is all about.
In a nutshell, if EOS is the system, Traction is the user manual you can’t skip out on.
In this award-winning best-seller, Gino Wickman helps us get to grips with the Six Key Components of EOS. Rather than just explaining the background behind each component, what it means and why it’s crucial, Traction delves deeper.
Imagine if every piece of flat-pack furniture came with handy insider tips and tricks for each step, instead of an iffy diagram and a few terribly worded bullet points (here’s looking at your IKEA 
).
Well, in Traction, we get exactly that — great, actionable advice on how to ace each component of running your company.
Traction takes us on a journey through the Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and of course, Traction components. When we finish that final page, we’re ready to rock it.
And with a super page-turning structure, even longstanding EOS’ers can refer back for quick guidance on any issue they’re facing.
To make life even easier, check out our one-line chapter highlights. 
The book Traction® in Ten chapters: 10 lines
Traction® is a 10-for-1 deal. Ten soundbites of epic wisdom wrapped up in one easy read. (Talk about value for money!)
Each chapter tackles a different component or topic. So if you find yourself stuck at any stage of your EOS journey, you can quickly identify which component is causing you pain and easily flick back to that chapter.
Here’s the complete chapter overview:
- Chapter 1 — The Entrepreneurial Operating System: Strengthening the Six Key Components — a quickfire intro to the six components.
- Chapter 2 — Letting Go of the Vine — how to let your business become its entity.
- Chapter 3 — The Vision Component: Do They See What You Are Saying? — one for the Visionaries: clarifying your vision to make better decisions.
- Chapter 4 — The People Component: Surround Yourself with Good People — how to get the right people in the right seats.
- Chapter 5 — The Data Component: Safety in Numbers — how to use a handful of data points to understand your business health.
- Chapter 6 — The Issues Component: Decide! — how to own your organization’s issues and face them head-on as they arise.
- Chapter 7 — The Process Component: Finding Your Way — identifying your core processes, document and scale them.
- Chapter 8 — The Traction Component: From Luftmensch to Action! — how to make your vision a reality: measurable priorities and better meetings.
- Chapter 9 — Pulling it All Together: The Grand Journey — how to combine the above and create a real-world system to organize your business.
- Chapter 10 — Getting Started — how to get it together: Accountability Chart™, structure, people, Rocks, meetings, EOS Scorecard™, and beyond.
Now that you know what Traction is all about, it’s time to hear which parts had our pros swooning. 
Key takeaways, teachings, and tips on the book Traction®
Traction® is a favorite among successful entrepreneurs, with over a million copies sold.
Our panel of experts and EOS Implementers® to find out how the book helped them, which sections are must-reads, and what their top biggest takeaways are.
Tabetha Sheaver, Professional EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide
Tabetha is fresh into the EOS Implementer world, starting just four months ago in her new role.
As a freshly-minted Implementer, Tabetha found herself to be a People Component™ person. So for her, Chapter 4 is where it’s at.
Most Implementers agree that it’s often the folks at the top who pose the biggest threat to implementation. After all, when you’re busy leading, you tend to glaze over the things you think you know and prioritize the new shiny topics (home truth anyone? 
).
But for Tabetha, a key Traction® takeaway is that leaders have to revisit topics.
Because chances are someone, somewhere, is hazy on a point…or ten. And that’s where cracks start forming, visions become misaligned, and results can take a serious nose-dive.
Tabetha’s Traction tips:
- “Encourage people to quit saying ‘I already know this, it’s a waste of time’ — because every session I’ve run, someone has gotten something out of revisiting the tools.”
- “Becoming your best takes practice and a willingness to be open and coachable. Don’t just read Traction once — repeat the exercises.”
Jennifer Carrasco, Self Employed Professional EOS Implementer®
Jennifer Carrasco is an entrepreneur extraordinaire who is currently rocking the skincare, construction, podcast, and EOS scenes.
For Jen, the Vision Component™ is Traction®’s most valuable chapter.
She says, “This part is so important for leaders because it’s down to them to create a healthy organization. But it’s also something many leaders lack.”
Jen’s Traction takeaway:
- “Any organization can change to become healthy and functional; many just don’t understand how. That’s where EOS and Traction come in.”
Andrea Young, Professional EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide
With 17 years at Coca-Cola under her belt, it’s safe to say Andrea Young knows a thing or two about the world of business.
Taking on her latest challenge as an EOS Implementer, Traction® has been an invaluable tool to skyrocket her new career.
So when we asked which parts were essential, Andrea agreed with Jen: it’s all about Traction’s Chapter 3. And for her, “2022 is the perfect time to reset and revisit the Vision Component “.
Because right now, the world is going through a shift. Post-pandemic, a record number of people are leaving their jobs in search of a shiny new path.
So with most companies switching up their staff rosters company-wide, every element of your company vision must be locked down.
Andrea’s Traction tip:
- “Build a company vision that allows employees to see their future at the organization. When employees understand their contribution, you’re more likely to gain traction, retain talent, and build a strong culture.”
Ryan Henry, Certified EOS Implementer, GRIP Business Traction
With years of EOS experience to pull from, Ryan Henry was way too tricky to land on just one component chapter. So instead, there are just too many takeaways and tips he had to share with us after reading (and re-reading…and re-reading) Traction.
So, lucky for us, he provided six excellent tips for the six crucial components:
- Vision Component — For Ryan, this one’s a biggy. So big he’s chopped it into six action points Traction outlines:
- Take your Clarity Break™ and pull out the Vision/Traction Organizer™.
- Whatever the issue, use your Core Focus™ to solve it.
- Take a look at your 10-year plan and ask, ‘Is that still what I want?’. If not, find out what’s different and speak to your Integrator.
- Think about your target market and ask yourself, ‘Am I working with clients I hate?’. If so, life’s too short — you don’t need them.
- Build your core processes, ensure they happen every single time and rally your company around the ones that are proven to work,
- Check out your 3-Year Picture™ and ask, ‘What has to happen in this period to meet my 10-year plan?’.
- People Component — Ryan says now is the time to “clear the deck and have the right people in the right seats. Make sure your structure is correct first, then your people come a close second”.
- Data Component™ — This one is pretty simple. Traction says you have to implement your EOS Scorecard and review it regularly to nail the Data Component.
- Issues Component™ — When it comes to the Issues Component, Traction demands absolute transparency. And Ryan agrees, “You have to be honest about where you or your team feel overwhelmed and what’s stopping you from getting your to-dos and rocks done. All progress starts by telling the truth.”
- Process — EOS places a lot of emphasis on the Process Component. And so does Traction, laying out some pretty set processes on how to ace…Process!
- Process for creating a process: Create a scorecard > when your scorecard results are consistently high, the process is correct > extract that process > simplify it > document the steps.
- Process for implementing a process: Write out your process > share it with your team > ensure they agree with it > train them on how to implement it > make sure it’s followed.
- Traction — Ryan’s major takeaway on this final component is that “you have to work on the business, not in the business. So stop doing the day-to-day and take the time to think. The ROI on just sitting and doing your annual planning will be exponential.”
Lynda Martin, Professional EOS Implementer® at EOS Worldwide
Our final pro, Lynda Martin, has close to a decade of EOS implementation experience.
So when she told us it’s Chapter 9 we should check out, you can be pretty sure we headed straight there.
Instead of picking out a single component to focus on, Lynda raves about Wickman’s penultimate chapter and how it wraps everything up.
She says, “What stood out was how the tools all work together and build on each other to increase clarity. Traction encourages a focus on human energy, clearing any obstacles that get in the way of growth. Especially for leaders.”
Lynda’s Traction tip:
- “Check out the Clarity Break™ pages to let your mind and heart freeflow and get some focus for the journey ahead — I took half a day yesterday to re-read, and today I feel inspired.”
Traction® means Getting a Grip on Your Business'
As taglines go, Traction®’s is pretty on the money.
Because wherever you’re at with EOS, Traction® is a great way to understand precisely how to do just that…get a grip on your business!
Whether it’s a cover-to-cover walk-through at the beginning of your journey. A post-IDS way to resolve a component pain point. Or just an annual refresh to check you’re still in strong EOS shape. Traction® has you covered.
Have you read the book Traction® and want to start scaling your business? Find out how ready your business is to systemize and grow with our free assessment.
Readiness to Scale Assessment
Almost everyone wants to scale their business but where to start? Take our Readiness to Scale Assessment to find out! You’ll be presented with 10 statements that correlate to one of three specific scaling stages in business.