Level 10 Meeting™ Complete Guide: Agenda, Template & How to Run One

What is a Level 10 Meeting™?

The Level 10 Meeting™ (L10™) is a structured, weekly 90-minute leadership team meeting from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS®), introduced by Gino Wickman in his book Traction. It's called "Level 10" because at the end of every meeting, each participant rates the meeting on a scale of 1-10 — and the goal is to consistently hit a 10.

Unlike traditional meetings that wander without direction, the Level 10 Meeting follows the same agenda every week, starts and ends on time, and dedicates the majority of time (60 of 90 minutes) to solving issues permanently using the IDS™ process (Identify, Discuss, Solve).

The L10 is the heartbeat of any company running on EOS®. When done right, it replaces hours of unproductive meetings with a single, focused weekly pulse that keeps your leadership team aligned and accountable. Learn more about Level 10 Meetings™ and how TractionFlow makes them easier to run.

For a broader overview of why Level 10 Meetings work and how they compare to traditional meetings, see our guide on how to run Level 10 Meetings that actually work.

Why Level 10 Meetings™ Work

The Problem with Traditional Meetings

• No clear agenda or structure
• Discussions without decisions
• Same issues week after week
• No accountability for action items
• Meetings run too long

The Level 10 Solution

• Same day, same time, same place - Creates rhythm
• Structured agenda - Maximizes productivity
• IDS™ Process - Solves issues permanently
• 90 minutes max - Respects everyone's time
• Rated for effectiveness - Continuous improvement

Level 10 Meeting™ Agenda & Timing

The Sacred 90-Minute Agenda

Level 10 Meeting Agenda Template

Use this template to run your Level 10 Meeting. Print it out or keep it open during meetings until the rhythm becomes second nature.

Meeting: Level 10 Meeting™ Day/Time: __________ (same day and time every week) Duration: 90 minutes Attendees: Leadership team (typically 3-7 people)

1. Segue — 5 min

• Each person shares one piece of personal or professional good news
• Keep to 30-60 seconds per person, no discussion

2. Scorecard Review — 5 min

• Review each weekly metric: report number, mark green/yellow/red
• Drop off-track metrics to Issues List — do NOT discuss here

3. Rock Review — 5 min

• Each Rock owner reports: On-Track or Off-Track
• Drop off-track Rocks to Issues List — do NOT discuss here

4. Customer/Employee Headlines — 5 min

• Share notable news about customers (wins, losses, feedback)
• Share employee news (hires, departures, kudos, concerns)
• Drop anything needing discussion to Issues List

5. To-Do List Review — 5 min

• Read each to-do from last week, mark Done or Not Done
• Target: 90% completion rate
• If not done, drop to Issues List or carry forward (max one week)

6. IDS™ (Identify, Discuss, Solve) — 60 min

• Prioritize top 3 issues from the Issues List
• Work through them one at a time: What's the real issue? → Discuss → Decide → Assign a to-do with owner and 7-day due date
• Move to the next issue and repeat

7. Conclude — 5 min

• Read back all new to-dos, confirm owners and due dates
• Identify cascading messages: what needs to be communicated, to whom, by whom
• Each person rates the meeting 1-10 (share why if less than 8)

Tip: The first few L10s will feel rigid. That's normal. Commit to running this exact agenda for 90 days before making any modifications. The structure is what makes it work.

Using TractionFlow for Level 10 Meetings™

Meeting Setup

1. Navigate to Meetings → Create Level 10

2. Set Meeting Details:

   • Day & Time (e.g., Tuesdays 9:00 AM)
   • Attendees (Leadership team only)
   • Meeting location or video link
   • Recurring schedule

3. TractionFlow Automatically:

   • Creates recurring calendar invites
   • Sets up agenda template
   • Configures meeting timer
   • Links to Scorecard and Rocks

Running Your Level 10 Meeting™

1. Segue (5 minutes)

Purpose: Transition into meeting mindset and build team cohesion

How to Run:

• Each person shares good news (personal and professional)
• Keep it brief - 30-60 seconds per person
• No discussion or questions
• Creates positive energy

TractionFlow Features:

• Timer countdown display
• Random order generator
• Good news archive
• Automatic transition alert

Best Practices:

• Start exactly on time
• Leader goes first to model
• Celebrate wins, big and small
• Keep it positive

2. Scorecard Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Get a pulse on the business through weekly metrics

How to Run:

1. Each metric owner reports their number
2. Mark as on-track (green) or off-track (red/yellow)
3. NO DISCUSSION during this segment
4. Drop any off-track metrics to Issues List

TractionFlow Features:

• Scorecard auto-loads with current week
• One-click status updates
• Automatic issue creation for red metrics
• 13-week trend visible

Common Mistakes:

• ❌ Discussing why numbers are off
• ❌ Solving problems during review
• ❌ Making excuses for red numbers

Do This Instead:

• ✅ Report the number
• ✅ Drop to Issues List
• ✅ Move on quickly

3. Rock Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Track progress on quarterly priorities

How to Run:

1. Each Rock owner reports: On-Track or Off-Track
2. Share percentage complete if relevant
3. NO PROBLEM SOLVING
4. Drop any off-track Rocks to Issues List

TractionFlow Features:

• Rock dashboard with progress bars
• Automatic off-track alerts
• Milestone tracking
• Quick status toggle

Tips for Success:

• Binary: On-track or Off-track only
• Save explanations for IDS
• Celebrate completed Rocks
• Keep the energy moving

4. Customer/Employee Headlines (5 minutes)

Purpose: Share important people-related information

Customer Headlines:

• Major wins or losses
• Important feedback
• Market intelligence
• Competitive information

Employee Headlines:

• New hires/departures
• Recognition and achievements
• Team concerns
• Organizational changes

TractionFlow Features:

• Headline templates
• Quick-add to Issues List
• Historical headline archive
• Sentiment tracking

5. To-Do List Review (5 minutes)

Purpose: Ensure accountability for action items

How to Run:

1. Review each to-do from last week
2. Mark as "Done" or "Not Done"
3. If not done, either:
   • Drop to Issues List, or
   • Carry forward one week maximum
4. 90% completion rate expected

TractionFlow Features:

• To-do list from previous meeting
• One-click done/not done
• Automatic carry-forward
• Completion rate tracking
• Owner accountability metrics

Accountability Standards:

• 90% completion expected
• "Not done" requires explanation
• Pattern of incompletion = Issue

6. IDS™ - Identify, Discuss, Solve (60 minutes)

Purpose: Solve your most important issues for good

The IDS Process

IDENTIFY (5-10 minutes total)

1. Build the Issues List:

   • Carry-over from previous weeks
   • Add from Scorecard (red/yellow)
   • Add from Rock Review
   • Add from Headlines
   • Add new issues

2. Prioritize Top 3:

   • What must be solved today?
   • Consider impact and urgency
   • Team agrees on priorities

DISCUSS (Variable time per issue)

Goal: Get to the root cause

Discussion Guidelines:

• One person talks at a time
• No tangents or side conversations
• Be open and honest
• Fight for the greater good
• Disagree without being disagreeable

Key Questions:

• What is the real issue?
• Who does this impact?
• What's the root cause?
• What are our options?

SOLVE (Clear action required)

Every issue must end with:

1. A decision/solution
2. A to-do with:
   • Specific action
   • One owner
   • Due date (usually 7 days)

TractionFlow IDS Features:

• Issue prioritization voting
• Timer for each issue
• Root cause templates
• Solution documentation
• Automatic to-do creation
• Decision archive

IDS Best Practices

✅ Start with #1 Priority - Don't skip around ✅ One Issue at a Time - Stay focused ✅ Solve Forever - Don't revisit same issues ✅ Make Decisions - Discussion without decision = waste ✅ Document Everything - Capture decisions and to-dos

7. Conclude (5 minutes)

Purpose: Ensure clarity and alignment leaving the meeting

Conclusion Checklist:

1. Recap To-Dos

   • Read each to-do aloud
   • Confirm owner and due date
   • Everyone writes them down

2. Cascading Messages

   • What needs to be communicated?
   • Who needs to know?
   • Who will communicate it?

3. Rate the Meeting (1-10)

   • Everyone rates out loud
   • Share why if less than 8
   • Identify improvements needed

TractionFlow Features:

• To-do summary generation
• Message cascade templates
• Rating with comments
• Improvement tracking
• Automatic meeting notes

Advanced Level 10 Strategies

Virtual Meeting Adaptations

Technology Setup:

• Video on for everyone
• Mute when not speaking
• Screen share for Scorecard/IDS
• Use chat for Issues List additions

Engagement Tactics:

• Call on people by name
• Use polls for prioritization
• Rotate who shares screen
• Take breaks if energy drops

Cascading Level 10s

Leadership L10 → Department L10s → Team Huddles

Timing Example:

• Monday: Leadership L10 (9:00 AM)
• Tuesday: Department L10s (varies)
• Wednesday: Team huddles (varies)

Information Flow:

• Cascading messages down
• Issues escalate up
• Metrics roll up
• Rocks align throughout

Common Level 10 Mistakes

❌ Starting Late - Disrespects the punctual ❌ Skipping Segue - Loses human connection ❌ Discussing During Scorecard - Wastes time ❌ Not Solving Issues - Just talking ❌ No To-Do Accountability - Things don't get done ❌ Running Over 90 Minutes - Creates meeting fatigue

Troubleshooting Your Level 10

"Our meetings run over 90 minutes"

• Use the timer religiously
• Limit IDS to true priorities
• Save discussion for IDS only
• Consider two meetings if needed

"Same issues every week"

• Not getting to root cause
• Need better solutions
• To-dos aren't being completed
• Wrong people in the meeting

"Low meeting ratings"

• Ask specifically what would make it a 10
• Track patterns in feedback
• Experiment with improvements
• Ensure right people attending

"Team doesn't prepare"

• Send reminder with prep needs
• Review expectations
• Create preparation checklist
• Hold people accountable

Level 10 Success Metrics

Your Level 10 is working when:

• ✅ Starts and ends on time
• ✅ 90% to-do completion
• ✅ Average rating of 8+
• ✅ Issues solved permanently
• ✅ Team looks forward to it

TractionFlow Level 10 Tools

Meeting Timer

• Segment Countdown - Visual timer for each section
• Pace Indicators - Green/yellow/red for timing
• Auto-Advance - Moves to next segment
• Overtime Alerts - When running behind

Action Item Tracker

• Automatic Capture - To-dos from IDS
• Owner Assignment - Clear accountability
• Due Date Tracking - Usually 7 days
• Completion Metrics - Individual and team
• Overdue Notifications - Email reminders

Meeting Archive

• Complete History - All decisions and to-dos
• Issue Resolution - How issues were solved
• Rating Trends - Meeting effectiveness over time
• Search Function - Find past decisions

Templates Library

• Standard L10 - Classic 90-minute format
• Extended L10 - 2-hour for quarterly planning
• Department L10 - 60-minute version
• Daily Huddle - 10-minute stand-up

Implementation Roadmap

Week 1-2: Foundation

• Schedule recurring meeting
• Set up in TractionFlow
• Train team on agenda
• Run first meeting

Week 3-4: Refinement

• Adjust timing as needed
• Build Issues List discipline
• Improve IDS process
• Track completion rates

Month 2: Optimization

• Achieve 90-minute consistency
• 90% to-do completion
• Average rating of 8+
• Cascade to departments

Month 3: Mastery

• Meeting runs itself
• Issues solved permanently
• Strong accountability
• Team engagement high

Quick Reference Card

Before the Meeting:

• Update your Scorecard metric
• Review your Rock status
• Prepare headlines
• Review last week's to-dos

During the Meeting:

• Segue: Share good news (5 min)
• Scorecard: Report numbers (5 min)
• Rocks: On/Off track (5 min)
• Headlines: People news (5 min)
• To-Dos: Done/Not done (5 min)
• IDS: Solve issues (60 min)
• Conclude: Recap & rate (5 min)

After the Meeting:

• Complete your to-dos
• Cascade messages
• Update Scorecard/Rocks
• Prepare for next week

Sample Level 10 Meeting Walkthrough

Here's what a real Level 10 Meeting looks like for a 6-person leadership team at a growing services company:

9:00 AM — Segue (5 min) The facilitator starts on time (even though one person is running late). Each person shares good news: one leader's daughter made the soccer team, another closed a new client. The late arrival joins at 9:02 — the meeting doesn't pause.

9:05 AM — Scorecard Review (5 min) The team reviews 12 weekly metrics. Revenue is green, customer satisfaction is green, but employee turnover is red for the third week and cash collections are yellow. Both get dropped to the Issues List with one click. No discussion — just the numbers.

9:10 AM — Rock Review (5 min) Five Rocks for the quarter. Three are on-track. The "Launch new onboarding process" Rock is off-track — dropped to Issues List. The "Hire VP of Sales" Rock is on-track but tight on timeline.

9:15 AM — Headlines (5 min) Customer headline: A key client mentioned they're evaluating competitors. Employee headline: Two team members in operations have a conflict that's affecting morale. Both go to the Issues List.

9:20 AM — To-Do Review (5 min) Eight to-dos from last week. Seven done, one not done (the operations manager didn't finish the budget revision). That's 87.5% — close to the 90% target. The incomplete to-do gets carried forward with a note.

9:25 AM — IDS™ (60 min) The Issues List now has 11 items. The team votes on the top 3:

1. Employee turnover (3 weeks red) — The team identifies the root cause: two specific managers aren't conducting weekly one-on-ones. Solution: require weekly one-on-ones, COO to verify compliance. To-do: COO creates one-on-one schedule by next Tuesday.

2. Key client evaluating competitors — Root cause: they haven't seen our new features. Solution: schedule an executive business review. To-do: VP of Sales schedules the QBR this week.

3. Operations team conflict — Discussed and identified as a seat issue (one person may be in the wrong seat). To-do: COO runs a People Analyzer™ on both team members before next week's L10.

The team solves all three and still has 20 minutes left, so they tackle two more issues from the list.

10:25 AM — Conclude (5 min) The facilitator reads back five new to-dos with owners and due dates. One cascading message: "Tell the operations team we're aware of the conflict and addressing it." Each person rates the meeting: 9, 8, 9, 10, 8, 9. The person who rated 8 says: "We could have been tighter on the headlines section." Noted for next week.

10:30 AM — Meeting ends on time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Level 10 Meeting?

A Level 10 Meeting (also called an L10) is a structured, weekly 90-minute meeting format from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS®). Developed by Gino Wickman and outlined in his book Traction, it follows a fixed seven-part agenda: Segue, Scorecard, Rock Review, Headlines, To-Do Review, IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve), and Conclude. The name comes from the practice of rating each meeting 1-10, with the goal of consistently achieving a 10.

How long is a Level 10 Meeting?

A Level 10 Meeting is exactly 90 minutes — no more, no less. The fixed time constraint is intentional: it forces the team to prioritize ruthlessly and solve issues efficiently. Of the 90 minutes, 60 are dedicated to IDS (solving issues), and the remaining 30 minutes cover reporting and accountability. The meeting starts on time even if someone is late, and ends at the 90-minute mark even if the Issues List isn't empty.

What is the IDS process in a Level 10 Meeting?

IDS stands for Identify, Discuss, Solve — it's the core problem-solving process in every Level 10 Meeting and takes up 60 of the 90 minutes. First, the team identifies and prioritizes the most important issues. Then they discuss each issue one at a time, digging to the root cause (not just symptoms). Finally, they solve by making a decision and assigning a specific to-do with one owner and a 7-day due date. The goal is to solve issues permanently so they never come back.

How is a Level 10 Meeting different from a regular team meeting?

The key differences are structure, accountability, and issue resolution. Traditional meetings often lack agendas, drift into unproductive discussion, and end without clear action items. A Level 10 Meeting follows the same agenda every week, separates reporting (Scorecard, Rocks) from problem-solving (IDS), and ends with documented to-dos that are reviewed the following week. The 90% to-do completion standard creates real accountability.

Who should attend a Level 10 Meeting?

The Level 10 Meeting is designed for your leadership team — typically 3 to 7 people who run the major functions of the business. Keeping attendance tight is critical; larger groups slow down IDS and make it harder to have honest conversations. Department heads can run their own L10s with their teams (called "cascading L10s"), using the same format adapted to 60 minutes.

What if our Level 10 Meetings keep running over 90 minutes?

This is the most common L10 challenge. The fix is discipline, not more time. Use a visible timer for each segment (TractionFlow has a built-in one). The biggest time wasters are discussing issues during the Scorecard or Rock review — these sections are for reporting only. If an issue needs discussion, drop it to the Issues List. Also, limit IDS to 3-5 priority issues rather than trying to solve everything.

How many issues should we solve in a Level 10 Meeting?

Most teams solve 3 to 5 issues per meeting during the 60-minute IDS segment. The number matters less than the quality — it's better to permanently solve 3 issues than to superficially discuss 10. If your team is consistently solving fewer than 3, you're likely spending too long on individual issues and need to get to root causes faster.

Can you run a Level 10 Meeting virtually?

Yes. Many EOS® companies run effective virtual L10s. The keys are: cameras on for everyone, use a shared tool (like TractionFlow) so everyone sees the same Scorecard and Issues List, mute when not speaking, and use chat for adding issues to the list. Virtual L10s require stricter facilitation to keep energy up and prevent multitasking.

Get Started

Ready to transform your meetings?

1. Schedule Your First L10 →
2. Download L10 Agenda →
3. Watch L10 Training →
4. Get Team Buy-In Guide →

Remember: The first Level 10 won't be perfect. Commit to 90 days of consistent meetings, and you'll never go back to the old way.