What Is Leadership Execution?

Question:

Ever heard of the saying: “actions are louder than words?” This simple universal truth applies very well to the process by which organizations achieve results. Take a look at the following equation, which represents how most companies use strategy (words) in combination with execution (actions) to create results.

Strategy + Execution = Results.

Just as the saying goes, ‘Execution’ (action) is much ‘louder’ than ‘Strategy’ (words). In the Hay Group’s 2008 Best Companies for Leaders Survey, 83% of the world’s best-in-class organizations identified ‘execution’ as the single most valuable leadership skill. The consequences of poor execution are equally ‘loud’. According to a Harvard Business School research article, when execution is poor, it can lead to a whopping 40% loss in financial value!
Read more

Leadership Execution: She’s A Good Employee, BUT!

Far too many people think that when organizational dysfunction abounds, it is ‘culture’ or ‘employees’ that need to change, when in fact, it is ‘leadership’ that needs to show the way first.

The following are video clips from Dr. Pele’s speech on the topic of leadership execution…how leaders can execute daily behaviors that will help employees improve their performance:

Leadership Competencies Are Not Behaviors

Organizations have standardized on the use of competencies as a means of identifying the skills needed for success in various job positions. These competencies are defined, described, and used as a guide for hiring or developing talent. Competencies are also used to define and describe the leadership skills that an organization believes will be most successful. However, there is a tendency to mistakenly equate competency with behavior. As such, human resource professionals stop at the point of identifying required competencies and skills, but don’t get down to the granular level of describing desired daily behavior.

The resulting fuzziness about what it takes to “do” leadership successfully leads to poor execution in organizations. Leaders may know “what” competencies are important, but are not given much clarity on “how” to accomplish them. By clarifying what a competency is (and isn’t), and by connecting the dots between competency and behavior, it is possible to close this gap in misunderstanding, and help organizations implement improved leadership at all levels.

Read more