Leaders,
An interesting article here from HBR, “Only
8% of Leaders are Good at Strategy and Execution.” Their
survey, and subsequent research, identified 5 Acts that “help companies close
the strategy-to-execution gap.” As the article suggests, think of these 5
Acts as “a chance to create an engine of growth for you personally and for the
company (with my editorial comments for your consideration):”
·
Commit to an Identity. All of our
leadership programs begin with some effort to know yourself. As the adage
goes, the first person you must be able to lead…is YOU! We use a powerful
assessment tool (Energize2Lead) to help leaders understand their wiring.
Rather than change it…own it! We then work with leaders to write their
personal leadership philosophy. You are who you are. Be that person
– consistently. Ask your team to hold you accountable when your actions
do not match your words. Be yourself (if you’ve read my book, you’ll know
that is the first tenet of my own leadership philosophy!).
·
Translate the Strategic into the Every Day.
I like the perspective in the article that leaders need two kinds of
perspectives – nearsighted and farsighted. In “Leader Business,” I wrote
about a military leader’s eyes while driving down a highway in Iraq, on the
lookout for IEDs. Their vision goes from looking far out (How does the
road look ahead?) to right under the tires (Any telling signs of trouble along
the shoulders, movement of dirt, etc.?). Back & forth; near and
far. Yes, the higher up you go, the more time you spend with the far out
(strategic). But, you must be able to switch back to the tactical
regularly, “get your hands into the mud,” and make sure nothing blows up under
the tires. But, make sure it is not at the expense of growing others,
empowering them to do their jobs, and such that you only do the tactical and
not the strategic! Try driving and only look immediately in front of your
vehicle. You won’t make it far!
·
Put your Culture to Work. I
recently heard Jim Collins (Good to Great) describe culture as the sum of (1)
The People Decisions you Make (hiring, firing, promotions, etc.) and (2) The
Behavior of Leaders in Key Positions. What are you role modelling for
your organization to demonstrate your culture? As the article suggests,
you can’t do this from your office (or by email). You need to be seen and
heard. That is your culture!
·
Cut Costs to Grow Stronger. No
resource is more important to you and your team than your personal time and
attention. Allocating enough to both strategy and execution, every
day, will put you in what appears to be elite company. Just look at the
week ahead. My guess is you’ve got plenty of activities planned for
influencing execution (project reviews, metrics, meetings, etc.) What
about the bigger picture? Where will you influence the strategic thinking
of your organization? Be deliberate about both.
·
Shape the Future. This one is
huge. Leaders must seek ways to “build an extremely capable team, knowing
that ultimately the future will depend on developing the next generation of
leaders.” What are you doing to grow your leaders – this week?
Challenge them, push them, grow them. Look at what you have budgeted for
leadership development at all tiers of your organization.
It goes without saying that I am here to help with all of
these “Acts,” especially the last one. I want to help you and your
leaders be a part of that apparently very elite club – the 8%!! Let me
know how I can help! That's Leader Business!
