Execution

In The Leader of the Future 2, Joseph Maciariello speaks of a "spirit of performance" that focuses on doing the right thing and getting the right things done. Getting things done is about execution. Effective execution requires leaders to employ steadfastness, follow through, a sense of urgency, as well as the ability to make fine-tuning adjustments - appropriate course corrections - along the way.

In Winning, Jack Welch explains that you can have passion, energize others, make difficult decisions, have great people, but "the results stink." That is because effective execution is missing. Welch describes execution the ability to "put decisions into action and push them forward to completion, through resistence, chaos, or unexpected obstacles."

One of themes that seems to be in common with the Gerstner and Davis books is the importance of execution.

Lou Gerster, in Who Says Elephants Can't Dance, defines execution as "getting the task done, making it happen." He refers to execution as the most undervalued quality of leaders. He explains that most business strategies are not revolutionary or unique. What separates the best companies from the rest of the pack is their ability to execute the strategies. Gerstner asserts that execution is successfully played out day-in and day-out in the course of business activities. He also believes that what gets done is what gets measured or inspected - accountability.

Ray Davis says that one of the key attributes of successful growth companies is their ability to execute their strategies precisely. In Leading for Growth, he speaks of the necessity of discipline and that organizational discipline starts with the senior leader. Discipline allows the organization to aggressively pursue their strategy. Davis speaks of the messages that the leader must send and the cues that employees will take. If a leader has poor follow through on strategy and change initiatives, employees will become jaded and view such efforts as the latest "flavor of the month." Leaders that cause and reinforce a "this too shall pass" attitude are undermining their organization's effectiveness and potential.

In their book, Execution, Bossidy and Charan state that some leaders make the mistake of delegating execution. They argue that execution is not just a tactic, but a discipline that must be built into the organization's culture and the leader must be out in front leading the effort to instill execution in the organization's DNA. As Gerstner similarly explained, Bossidy and Charan believe that an execution culture enables the organization to have competitive advantage.

In thinking about execution in business, a sports analogy seems fitting: a football coach can draw up the most effective play ever created, but if his team cannot execute the play properly the team will not be able to put points on the scoreboard! It takes practice, discipline, learning, team focus, sychronized effort and dogged determination to execute the play successfully and push the ball across the goal line.