Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done (Crown Business, 2002) by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan is "a hard-nosed, hard-edged and hard-boiled guide to the practicalities of leadership in a global competitive economy", according to Strategy + Business.
Co-authored by Larry Bossidy, retired Chairman/CEO of Honeywell and consultant, Ram Charan, the book has been called "a valuable and practical management guide that is must reading for anyone who cares about business" by the New York Times.
Mr. Bossidy shared some of his insights in an interview as part of Strategy + Business' Thought Leader coverage.
On business philosophers: "There's too much praise in business for the philosophers - people who are good strategists, but don't have the capability to translate that strategy into action."
Know your people and business: "It's hard to preach execution if you can't have a good dialogue with people about their business."
Three/fourths of execution is people: "People are the link to an execution culture."
Insist on realism: "You can't ever get to where you want to be unless you see the business the way it is. I hear CEOs who tell me how good their companies are - and they stink."
Expanding people's capabilities: "Good people come to companies and stay because they believe they have a chance to expand their capabilities and fulfill their destiny. You have an obligation to help them. So don't keep a person in a job too long just because he or she is excellent at it; give her another assignment so she can expand herself. Ultimately, you generate your own management future by virtue of working as hard as you can to fulfill these people's expectations."
Moderator's Comment: How can companies create an execution culture?
Mr. Bossidy believes in identifying and rewarding those that perform. A novel concept in a world where mediocrity too often rises to the top. [George Anderson - Moderator]