Issues - (The EOS Mastery) by Mark O'Donnell & Sue Hawkes & Jill Young (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

With today's market plagued by economic uncertainty, companies need to cut out anything slowing them down. The ability to tackle issues head-on isn't just nice to have anymore--it's your competitive advantage when things get tough.

The biggest epidemic plaguing businesses today is the failure to solve issues quickly and permanently. Most companies get stuck in endless meetings that rehash the same problems without resolution, creating a culture of frustration and stagnation.

Issues reveals the cure: a proven system used by tens of thousands of businesses to remove friction, fast-track growth, and ignite greatness. Authors Mark O'Donnell, Sue Hawkes, and Jill Young show you how to revolutionize your organization by:

• Mastering two essential tools to systematically tackle any business challenge, idea, opportunity, or obstacle
• Building a high-trust culture and understanding how to create psychological safety where teams can openly debate and challenge ideas without taking things personally, leading to better decisions
• Getting to the root of problems fast and solving what's really causing friction instead of just treating the symptoms
• Transforming meeting culture to turn boring, circular meetings into productive 90-minute meetings that consistently solve 5-15 issues per week
• Empowering every team member to be a problem-solving expert, creating leaders at every level

Built on the foundation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), this methodology has helped leadership teams find quick solutions to every problem that arises. You'll learn to build a culture of openness and honest accountability, where teams attack problems together instead of hiding from them.

Stop letting the same issues drain your energy and profits. Great companies solve issues as they arise and make them disappear forever, and this book shows you exactly how to become one of them. Your path from chaos to clarity starts here.

Review Quotes

"Issues is built on a proven model with clarity around the next steps to grow your business. The approach drives improved communications, creates a transparent organization, and builds the foundation for the most important result: growth."
--Rhoda Olsen, vice chair of the board of directors for Great Clips, Inc.

"I've personally witnessed how Sue Hawkes's guidance through the EOS process is beneficial and impactful, and with coauthors Mark O'Donnell and Jill Young, she expands on this careful and strategically sound approach in Issues. One of the most organized and insightful people I've ever met, Sue's clear communication style makes learning this process even easier."
--Merrilee Kick, founder and former CEO of BuzzBallz/Southern Champion LLC

"Issues are the invisible friction that slows down greatness. In Issues, Hawkes, O'Donnell, and Young show you how to unleash the full potential in your team, making each day more effective and each quarter more profitable. Your human capital is your most valuable capital and Hawkes, O'Donnell, and Young's wise words help you tap its full potential."
--Lewis Schiff, chairman of the board of Birthing of Giants and author of Business Brilliant

"Issues resolution has always been THE ISSUE! This book is a wonderful set of principles that (applied diligently!) can move any business forward."
--Andy Byma, president of Weather Shield Roofing Systems

"Entrepreneurs don't lack ambition; they get stuck in messy issues. With decades of EOS wisdom, O'Donnell, Hawkes, and Young show you exactly how to work through them--quickly, decisively, and collaboratively--so your team grows stronger with every challenge. Consider this your guide to turning friction into fuel."
--Shannon Waller, author of The Team Success Handbook and Multiplication by Subtraction

"Issues strips away the noise and shows what actually works. O'Donnell, Hawkes, and Young offer a grounded, real-world system for solving problems quickly and running a healthier, more aligned organization."
--Camille Burns, CEO of the Women Presidents Organization

"I've seen firsthand how EOS helps leaders across the roofing industry tackle challenges head-on. Issues brings that same clarity and energy, offering practical tools that transform frustration into momentum and growth. This book reflects Hawkes, O'Donnell, and Young's commitment to building high-trust teams and solving problems fast--an invaluable resource for any organization striving for greatness!"
--Jon Gardner, senior leader of strategic partnerships and learning and development at Owens Corning

"There is a reason that the Issues List takes 60 minutes of the weekly L10. If a company can identify the key issues and quickly solve them, it is on the winning path. O'Donnell, Hawkes, and Young show you how to do that very thing. This book demystifies the EOS Issues List and turns it into your team's most powerful problem-solving weapon--clear, practical, and immediately usable. A must read for any leader who wants fewer distractions, better decisions, and a team that actually solves problems instead of just talking about them. Leaders who truly put their people first will find in these pages a practical way to face issues together and move everyone forward."
--David Mann, managing partner and cofounder of The Firefly Group

"I've seen over and over that you will never get the right people in the right seats if you don't first get great at solving issues. Issues gives leaders the missing muscle: the courage, tools, and discipline to surface the real people issues, cut through the "nice," and make clear, right-seat decisions for the greater good of the company. If you're serious about building a team of A-players in every seat--not just rearranging the accountability chart--this book will show you how to remove the friction that's holding your best people (and your business) back."
--Jonathan Reynolds, CEO and Visionary of Titus Talent Strategie

About the Author

Mark O'Donnell is a highly successful entrepreneur, CEO, and Expert EOS Implementer. He is the current Visionary and CEO of EOS Worldwide and has also served as head coach for the company. With over 100 companies under his belt, Mark has helped numerous companies achieve their goals and get what they want from their businesses. As a serial entrepreneur, Mark has founded and sold multiple successful businesses. His passion for helping people live their ideal lives led him to his current mission of assisting one million people with tools like those found in the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Mark is a lifelong learner and an alumnus of Albright College, Northeastern University, and The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his wife, mother-in-law, three children, and his one-hundred-pound dog, Blue

Sue Hawkes started her first business at age 10, selling door-to-door with her best friend. She's upgraded her offerings since then, but she's always been obsessed with helping people and solving problems. Today, she helps high-achievers create winning cultures where accountability thrives--by gracefully tackling the tough stuff head-on and clearing any friction that slows people (and profits) down. Sue is a keynote speaker, best-selling author, Certified Business Coach, CEO of YESS!, and Expert EOS Implementer(TM). If there's friction in your company, she'll help you name it, face it, and solve it--for good. Sue brings the tools and the truth-telling to help you fix your business challenges permanently, without wasting time. She's the co-author of the most recent EOS Mastery Series book, Issues: Remove Friction, Fast-Track Your Growth, and Ignite Your Greatness, coming in April 2026. In it, she and her co-authors name the things most teams avoid and give you tools to solve whatever is in your way--once and for all. Sue has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and Entrepreneur, and earned numerous leadership awards for her transformational work with companies across the globe. She's here to help you stop avoiding what's hard, lean into what matters, and lead like you mean it--with clarity, purpose, and just enough humor to make it all stick.

Jill Young is best known for her ability to lift and encourage teams in inspiring and creative ways, or as she calls it, MAGIC! Since 2014, she has coached hundreds of leadership teams as an EOS Implementer based in Dallas, Texas. She is the author of The Advantage Series, a collection of books to help leadership teams become their best, the Creatrix of Coaching Magic, a school for passionate and dedicated coaches, and she served as head coach of EOS Worldwide. Jill loves cocreating projects (like this book!), leading active workshops and facilitating transformational experiences. Connect with Jill at JillYoung.com.