Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

by Larry Bossidy

to the idea that leading an organization requires strength of character. In execution it’s absolutely critical. Without what we call emotional fortitude, you can’t be honest with yourself, deal honestly with business and organizational realities, or give people forthright assessments. You can’t tolerate the diversity of viewpoints, mental architectures, and personal backgrounds that organizations need in their members in order to avoid becoming ingrown. If you can’t do these things, you can’t execute. It takes emotional fortitude to be open to whatever information you need, whether it’s what you like to hear or not. Emotional fortitude gives you the courage to accept points of view that are the opposite of yours and deal with conflict, and the confidence to encourage and accept challenges in group settings. It enables you to accept and deal with your own weaknesses, be firm with people who aren’t performing, and to handle the ambiguity inherent in a fast-moving, complex organization. RAM: You surely have noticed that the best leader is often not the most brilliant person in the outfit, or the one who knows most about the business. What gives this person more confidence to be a leader than others who are demonstrably better in one dimension or another? Here’s a clue. A certain executive lacked an essential quality that he needed to be a strong leader. He was the CEO of a large company I worked with, who had two executive vice presidents reporting to him. One VP, responsible...