From Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan (288 pp)
We're all always looking for the edge, the factor that helps put us get in front of the competition. Sometimes it's all about timing or positioning. But it's also always about what you’ve got inside, what drives you to achieve and realize more.
As a marketing product manager at Spirent Communications, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done was the first book I was required to read. I think it provides a great framework for any serious professional who has their eyes on the prize, and the only way to get that prize is to deliver on the smart criteria and goals you’ve set for an important initiative.
While the entire book is a rich resource – I recommend it to buy – I’ll share the ideas found in Chapter 3 and a springboard for useful takeaways in this short read. In the chapter entitled Building Block One: The Leader’s Seven Essential Behaviors, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan identify core approaches adopted by successful leaders which are:
by Larry Bossidy & Ram Charan (288 pp)
We're all always looking for the edge, the factor that helps put us get in front of the competition. Sometimes it's all about timing or positioning. But it's also always about what you’ve got inside, what drives you to achieve and realize more.
As a marketing product manager at Spirent Communications, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done was the first book I was required to read. I think it provides a great framework for any serious professional who has their eyes on the prize, and the only way to get that prize is to deliver on the smart criteria and goals you’ve set for an important initiative.
While the entire book is a rich resource – I recommend it to buy – I’ll share the ideas found in Chapter 3 and a springboard for useful takeaways in this short read. In the chapter entitled Building Block One: The Leader’s Seven Essential Behaviors, authors Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan identify core approaches adopted by successful leaders which are:
- Know your people and your business – Simply put, successful leaders live their businesses. Companies falter in the marketplace too often because out-of-touch executives lack critical understanding of their organization’s key players, as well as competitive and operational realities.
- Insist on realism – Looking to paint a rosy picture to help bridge short-term challenges is a strategic black hole. Dynamic leaders think and communicate realistically, and require the same behavior from all members of their organization.
- Set clear goals and priorities – Leaders with a long list of priorities lack critical focus and are unlikely to achieve them. Effective leaders clearly define the critical core priorities directly aligned with the organization’s needs. Included in these priorities are constituent steps and the timeframe required for addressing the priority.
- Follow through – Setting goals and priorities, and launching the initiative are only part of the equation. Persistence and follow-through are essential elements of success. Scheduling weekly or monthly status meetings to keep projects on track are examples of effective tactics to assure timely realization of the original goals and to flag gating issues before they become problems.
- Reward the doers – Compensating top performers to distinguish winners from weak performers is a fundamental motivator. This model, however, is too often overlooked in organizations where stock options and raises are not reflected in the compensation for proven top performers. Keep your high achievers happy and it will benefit the business.
- Expand people’s capabilities – Each interaction with a colleague is chance to expand their knowledge and expertise, and to build their investment and loyalty to the team and the organization. Use this coaching opportunity to share insights and experiences. Building their strength builds the organization’s strength.
- Know yourself – When a leader clearly understand their strengths, weaknesses as well as their skills and tendencies – they acquire an ‘emotional fortitude.’ This inner strength fortifies a leader’s ability to distinguish the correct path through adversity as well as manage and leverage diverse types of input from others, even if perspectives contrast widely from the executive.
“Organizations don’t execute
unless the right people,
individually and collectively,
focus on the right details
at the right time.”
unless the right people,
individually and collectively,
focus on the right details
at the right time.”