Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC Member President’s Message:

Beyond False Harmony

In the past, I have mentioned The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, a framework many of us in EFBC are familiar with. We explored the first dysfunction in absence of trust. Today, I want to talk about the second, which is a fear of conflict.

When trust is strong, people feel safe enough to speak their minds. But when that trust is shaky or never fully formed, teams avoid real conversations, and we settle for false harmony.

For many of us, that’s not surprising. We’ve been trained, consciously or not, to keep the peace. Don’t make waves, don’t challenge the group, and there’s often even an unspoken agreement: Don’t cause conflict for me, and I won’t cause conflict for you.

That silent agreement can feel like protection, but it’s actually a trap. Because when we avoid conflict, we avoid clarity. We dodge the truth, and that sacrifices alignment and growth.

But conflict, when it’s rooted in trust and purpose, isn’t dysfunction — it’s discipline. It’s how teams clarify what matters, it’s how we as leaders grow, and it’s how organizations break through to the next level.

So here’s what I want to offer this month:
It’s a reminder that disagreement doesn’t have to be divisive — it can be clarifying. What it means is that people care enough to be uncomfortable. It means that they’re paying attention. And the most effective leaders and the most cohesive teams don’t fear conflict. They embrace it with respect, structure, and a shared intent.

So ask yourself:

• Is there a conversation you’ve been avoiding?

• Is there tension hiding under the surface, pretending to be alignment?

• Is there someone on your team who needs to know it’s okay to speak up?

At EFBC, we talk about vulnerability and growth, and this is where they meet.
Let’s keep building trust. Let’s welcome the kind of conflict that makes us stronger. And let’s keep growing as leaders, even when the conversations are hard.

Thank you for being part of this community.
I’ll see you soon.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

At a recent EFBC event featuring communication expert Colette Carlson, we explored many of these same themes around communication, trust, and psychological safety in leadership teams.

A few insights that stood out:

• Only 26% of leaders are actively creating psychological safety for their teams.

• Google’s Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the number one predictor of high-performing teams.

• Teams with high levels of trust consistently demonstrate stronger collaboration, innovation, and engagement.

As Colette shared during the event:
“How we receive someone’s truth determines if we will ever hear from them again.”

Creating space for honest conversations is not always comfortable, but strong teams are built when people feel safe enough to speak openly, challenge ideas respectfully, and work through conflict together.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC President’s Message:

Where Does Your Team Need Stronger Commitment?

Hello, EFBC,

Before the holidays, we spent some time talking about The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, specifically trust and the importance of healthy conflict. We talked about what happens when trust is missing and how avoiding conflict creates false harmony.

Today, I’d like to pick that thread back up, because what happens next is commitment.

Trust allows truth. Conflict sharpens direction. And commitment locks it in.

This is where teams either accelerate or drift. And it is usually not because of a lack of talent or effort, but because they have not fully decided.

Commitment does not mean consensus. It means the conversation has happened, tension has been aired, and now we can move forward together.

Now it is February, and the excitement of our new goals has usually settled. This is where commitment becomes visible. It shows up in follow-through, in alignment, and in whether we actually execute what we said mattered.

So I will challenge you this month:

Where does your team need stronger commitment?
Where have you had the discussion, but not the buy-in?
And where do you need to say, “This is the direction,” and fully stand behind it?

It was great seeing many of you at our Breakfast Club last week. The energy in that room is always a reminder of what real engagement looks like.

If you have not yet, be sure to sign up for our next one on April 8. We would love to see you there.

In the meantime, let’s keep building trust, lean into healthy conflict, and commit fully to what we say matters.

I will talk to you all soon.

Thank you.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC President’s Message:

Starting the Year with the Right People at the Table

As we begin a new year, I find myself reflecting on what consistently makes the biggest difference for business owners and leaders. It is not having all the answers. It is having the right people at the table.

Over the years, I have seen how powerful collaboration can be. Leaders who actively engage with peers tend to make better decisions, navigate uncertainty with greater confidence, and feel less isolated as challenges arise. In my experience, some of the most meaningful progress comes from honest conversation, shared perspective, and a willingness to learn from one another.

This spirit of connection is at the heart of EFBC. Whether through Forums, events, or informal conversations, our community exists to create space for thoughtful dialogue and long-term relationships. These moments of reflection and exchange often shape how we think, lead, and move forward.

That same spirit carries into our programming for the year ahead. In the coming weeks, we will continue bringing leaders together for conversations that encourage perspective, curiosity, and shared learning. One example is our upcoming Breakfast Club with Greg Stanley, where we will explore how private equity is shaping today’s business landscape and what that means for closely held and owner-led companies. It is designed to be an open, approachable discussion, and like many of our events, it is open to both members and guests who want to learn more about EFBC.

As we move into the year ahead, I am grateful for this community and the relationships that make EFBC what it is. I look forward to the conversations, insights, and connections still to come.

Thank you.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC Member President’s Message:

Giving Thanks for This Community

Hello EFBC,

It’s that week, the start of a busy holiday season, and the opportunity for that final push to close out the year strong. Amidst all the chaos, I hope you’ll take some time to slow down and enjoy what matters most.

Spend time with loved ones, keep the traditions that make this time of year feel special, and maybe start some new ones. This time always reminds me of how grateful I am for the people in my life, my family, friends, and peers, and this EFBC community that feels like all three.

So as you pass the stuffing or serve up a perfectly round slice of canned cranberries, don’t forget to tell the people at your table how much they mean to you.

Wishing you all a safe and joyful Thanksgiving.

Thank you.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC Member President’s Message:

The Courage to Disagree

Hello again,

Joel Spencer here with your next President’s Message.

In September, I mentioned The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, a framework many of us in EFBC are familiar with. We explored the first dysfunction in absence of trust. Today, I want to talk about the second, which is a fear of conflict.

When trust is strong, people feel safe enough to speak their minds. But when that trust is shaky or never fully formed, teams avoid real conversations, and we settle for false harmony.

For many of us, that’s not surprising. We’ve been trained, consciously or not, to keep the peace. Don’t make waves, don’t challenge the group, and there’s often even an unspoken agreement: Don’t cause conflict for me, and I won’t cause conflict for you.

That silent agreement can feel like protection, but it’s actually a trap. Because when we avoid conflict, we avoid clarity. We dodge the truth, and that sacrifices alignment and growth.

But conflict, when it’s rooted in trust and purpose, isn’t dysfunction — it’s discipline. It’s how teams clarify what matters, it’s how we as leaders grow, and it’s how organizations break through to the next level.

So here’s what I want to offer this month:
It’s a reminder that disagreement doesn’t have to be divisive — it can be clarifying. What it means is that people care enough to be uncomfortable. It means that they’re paying attention. And the most effective leaders and the most cohesive teams don’t fear conflict. They embrace it with respect, structure, and a shared intent.

So ask yourself:

• Is there a conversation you’ve been avoiding?

• Is there tension hiding under the surface, pretending to be alignment?

• Is there someone on your team who needs to know it’s okay to speak up?

At EFBC, we talk about vulnerability and growth, and this is where they meet.
Let’s keep building trust. Let’s welcome the kind of conflict that makes us stronger. And let’s keep growing as leaders, even when the conversations are hard.

Thank you for being part of this community.
I’ll see you soon.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC Member President’s Message:

Building on Trust

Hello again,

Joel Spencer here, back with the third installment of our President’s Message.

So far, we’ve talked about momentum, the energy that gets us moving, and intention, which gives that movement purpose. This month, I want to talk about something even more foundational, trust.

If you’ve read the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, you know that trust sits at the very bottom of the pyramid. It’s the foundation, and when it’s missing, everything else can break down.

Without trust, we tend to avoid healthy conflict. Without conflict, we get surface-level commitments. And without those commitments, we stop holding each other accountable. And when there’s a lack of accountability, results can suffer.

But let’s be clear. Trust in the team isn’t about being polite or nice. It’s about vulnerability.

A trusted environment is 1 where people can raise concerns, challenge ideas, and speak up without the fear of judgment or backlash. And it’s not from a place of resistance, but from a place of shared ownership. And when people feel heard, even if the final decision isn’t what they hoped for, they’re much more likely to buy in.

That’s where trust begins, and that’s where real teams start to form.

So here’s my challenge for this month. Where is trust strong in your business right now? And where is it fraying? Are there conversations you’ve been avoiding? Tension going unspoken? Are there gaps in communication that need to be addressed?

Trust doesn’t get built in an all-hands meeting or in strategy decks. It gets built in small moments, the honest conversations, the hard feedback, and the willingness to listen.

Trust is a cornerstone of EFBC’s success and a major reason why our forums are so impactful. They give us the space to practice vulnerability, accountability, and have real support.

Do you have that kind of trust in your business?

Let’s keep building momentum. Let’s keep leading with intention, and let’s keep building teams that are rooted in trust.

Thank you all for being a part of this community, and I’ll see you soon.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026

EFBC Member President’s Message:

Joel Spencer on Intention

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the second installment of the President’s Message.

Last month, I talked about momentum—how we build energy, surround ourselves with the right people, and create forward movement in our leadership and our lives.

This month, I want to shift gears and talk about something just as important: intention. Momentum gets us going, intention keeps us headed in the right direction. And the reality is, staying intentional as a leader can be hard. There’s always a fire to put out, meetings to run, and hard decisions that we have to make. It’s easy to stay busy and somehow still feel like we’re drifting.

But when we pause, even briefly, we create space to think. For me, that pause often comes through something simple called the clarity break, which is just dedicated time to step away from the noise and reconnect with what matters most.

We’ve all had those moments where clarity hits during some downtime. Maybe it’s on a drive, sitting with a cup of coffee, or just walking without distractions. These moments can be rare if we don’t make time for them, and it can be hard to carve out that time consistently, yet they lead to important discoveries and direction as leaders.

That small investment of time helps me refocus and lead with greater purpose in my business.

So this month, I want to challenge all of us:

• don’t just move,

• take a break and ask yourself, why am I doing this?

• What outcome do I really want?

• And how do I show up in the process?

The EFBC is here to support that kind of leadership. We’re a community where leaders think more clearly, connect more deeply, and lead more intentionally.

So let’s keep building momentum, let’s keep leading with intention, and let’s keep showing up for ourselves and each other.

Thank you for being part of this community, and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Have a good day.

Joel Spencer
EFBC President 2025-2026