Leading Without an Office: How Eric Goodman Redefined Leadership and Mindset

When most people picture a CEO, they imagine corner offices, closed doors, and executive power. But for Eric Goodman, leadership looks nothing like that. The CEO of three companies, author of What’s Your Mindset: Meditations on Life and Leadership, and a man who’s lived through both physical and entrepreneurial challenges, Eric has learned that true leadership starts with humility—and a positive mindset.

Eric’s journey began with adversity. Born with a rare condition that required a life-saving surgery at 15, he spent nine months in a full-body cast. That period of isolation shaped his perspective on life and resilience. “All I could do was think,” he recalled. “Why me? Why did this happen? But eventually I realized, I got a second chance. Some people don’t get that until they’re 50. I got mine at 15.”

That experience became the foundation of his book and his philosophy. What’s Your Mindset is a memoir woven around four pillars: faith, love, leadership, and purpose. Each story in the book reflects a moment where mindset—more than luck or skill—determined the outcome. “You can take horrible things and make them into amazing things,” Eric said. “It’s all about how you choose to see them.”

Eric’s honesty about leadership is refreshing. Despite running multiple companies, he openly admits, “I suck as a CEO.” He doesn’t mean it with self-pity, but self-awareness. “I’m not great at managing teams or organizing systems. But I’m good at motivating people, at seeing the big picture, and at caring deeply. So I let others handle what I’m not good at.”

That realization changed everything. Instead of trying to do it all, Eric empowered his managers to lead their own departments. He stopped making every decision and started trusting his team. “I used to walk into the office every morning and see a line outside my door,” he said. “People waiting for me to solve their problems. One day, I realized that was unhealthy. I needed to get out of their way.”

When he finally did, something remarkable happened. “I sat in a meeting one day and didn’t say a word for an hour,” he said, smiling. “They didn’t need me. And I started to cry. That was success to me—when my team didn’t need me anymore.”

Perhaps the boldest move came when Eric gave up his office entirely. “I don’t have an office,” he said. “I sit in the conference room, and when someone needs it, I move. Sometimes I work in my car. It reminds everyone that leadership isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about support.”

Eric believes mindset is the throughline in everything—from leading teams to managing personal struggles. “Every day I wake up and pray, asking God to use me to help someone,” he said. “It’s work. Staying in a positive mindset is hard. But when you do, the outcomes are incredible.”

For Eric, success isn’t measured by titles or profits, but by impact. “You don’t need to be the CEO of a company to lead,” he said. “You can be the CEO of your life—your family, your friendships, your purpose. Leadership is a mindset, not a title.”

You can connect with Eric Goodman on LinkedIn or visit ericgoodman.org to learn more about his work and book What’s Your Mindset.