Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
Book Authors: Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
MDA Reviewer: Joseph M. Volker, Ph.D., L.P.
This is a book about the blocking and tackling of execution. It’s a good reminder that when all is said and done, leadership is about getting things done. Larry Bossidy, a respected and effective leader, shares his experiences as an executive at General Electric, Honeywell International, and Allied Signal. Ram Charan is a well known thought leader and experienced business consultant. He shares his experiences working with a wide variety of well known Fortune 500 companies. The combination works well. The book is loaded with examples of where execution went well and where it did not. While there is nothing conceptually new in their writings, the book provides a comprehensive review of the basics. Similar to when leaders say they can always improve communication, I find that leaders can always improve on execution.
Many leaders mistakenly believe that they should focus exclusively on a strategic level, leaving execution to others. This is only partially true. Bossidy and Charan encourage a broader view, which is a perspective that I support. Leaders must constantly drive execution for self and for their teams. Leaders must own execution in the organization and cultivate the capacity for execution in a proactive manner. This means getting the right people doing the right jobs at the right time. It means taking personal responsibility for developing and coaching people. It means cultivating the leadership pipeline for the long-term health of the organization.
Execution is a common focus for executive coaching at MDA Leadership Consulting. The leaders that I work with are often seeking to change the culture of their organizations to be more focused on execution and driving results. This book provides a great blueprint for that purpose. Leaders and their teams can use this book in several ways. They can use it as a benchmark to identify organizational strengths and weaknesses. They can use it for self assessment or for assessing the execution strengths and weaknesses of leaders in the organization. They can use it to develop a common language and a set of concepts for a change initiative. If this interests you, I’d love to talk with you about improving execution.