Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

by Larry Bossidy

operations process that runs on the social software of execution

Sometimes, on the other hand, you have to put the pressure on.

I can’t just walk away from my commitments.

So I make it a personal challenge: if you don’t accomplish your objective, if you don’t do what you said you were going to do, you are hurting yourself and your teammates. Usually the man will break his chops to make the numbers.

The heart of the working of a business is how the three processes of people, strategy, and operations link together.

The discipline of execution based on the three core processes is the new theory of leadership and organization distilled from practice and abbreviation.

what skills this job requires and how they compare with the ones you have.

be sure you’ve got someone who’s strong in it.

How well do you know your organization?

you get down where the action is,

Are you among like-minded people in your new job?

Nothing is more important to achieving results than your personal leadership of the three core processes.

The biggest single difference between businesses that execute and those that don’t is the rigor and intensity with which the leader prosecutes these processes.

But running the processes must be at the top of your priority list.

stewardship of the people process is what will convert that belief to reality.

Make your people process second to none.

Your success will be determined by the number...

You need to know at least the top third of the people in your unit in terms of their performance...

Getting the strategy process right is crucial to your longer-term success and that of your organization.

Does your new team have a track record of overcoming obstacles?

if you don’t identify, debate, and resolve the critical issues, the business stalls.

You have a budget, but do you have the action plan the budget should represent?

nails down your team’s commitments by tying performance explicitly to incentives,

Jane, we can’t stress strongly enough the importance of your personal involvement in these three core processes.

First, make sure you and your people really understand your customers:

Second, always look for ways to improve your results by introducing initiatives such as Six Sigma or digitization.

Third, maintain and sharpen your intellectual honesty so that you’re always realistic. See things as they are, not the way you want them to be.

we have found that a leader needs a confidant, someone outside the business to help her keep her head straight.

Some people grow in their jobs, and others swell.

The ones who grow are passionate about their businesses.