Execution：The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Thebookthatshowshowtogetthejobdoneanddeliverresults...whetheryou'rerunninganentirecompanyorinyourfirstmanagementjobLarryBossidyisoneoftheworld'smostacclaimedCEOs,amanwithfewpeerswhohasatrackrecordfordeliveringresults.RamCharanisalegendaryadvisortoseniorexecutivesandboardsofdirectors,amanwithunparalleledinsightintowhysomecompaniesaresuccessfulandothersarenot.Togetherthey'vepooledtheirknowledgeandexperienceintotheonebookonhowtoclosethegapbetweenresultspromisedandresultsdeliveredthatpeopleinbusinessneedtoday.Afteralong,stellarcareerwithGeneralElectric,LarryBossidytransformedAlliedSignalintooneoftheworld'smostadmiredcompaniesandwasnamedCEOoftheyearin1998byChiefExecutivemagazine.Accomplishmentssuchas31consecutivequartersofearnings-per-sharegrowthof13percentormoredidn'tjusthappen;theyresultedfromtheconsistentpracticeofthedisciplineofexecution:understandinghowtolinktogetherpeople,strategy,andoperations,thethreecoreprocessesofeverybusiness.Leadingtheseprocessesistherealjobofrunningabusiness,notformulatinga"vision"andleavingtheworkofcarryingitouttoothers.BossidyandCharanshowtheimportanceofbeingdeeplyandpassionatelyengagedinanorganizationandwhyrobustdialoguesaboutpeople,strategy,andoperationsresultinabusinessbasedonintellectualhonestyandrealism.Theleader'smostimportantjob—selectingandappraisingpeople—isonethatshouldneverbedelegated.AsaCEO,LarryBossidypersonallymakesthecallstocheckreferencesforkeyhires.Why?Withtherightpeopleintherightjobs,there'saleadershipgenepoolthatconceivesandselectsstrategiesthatcanbeexecuted.Peoplethenworktogethertocreateastrategybuildingblockbybuildingblock,astrategyinsyncwiththerealitiesofthemarketplace,theeconomy,andthecompetition.Oncetherightpeopleandstrategyareinplace,theyarethenlinkedtoanoperatingprocessthatresultsintheimplementationofspecificprogramsandactionsandthatassignsaccountability.Thiskindofeffectiveoperatingprocessgoeswaybeyondthetypicalbudgetexercisethatlooksintoarearviewmirrortosetitsgoals.Itputsrealitybehindthenumbersandiswheretherubbermeetstheroad.Puttinganexecutioncultureinplaceishard,butlosingitiseasy.InJuly2001LarryBossidywasaskedbytheboardofdirectorsofHoneywellInternational(ithadmergedwithAlliedSignal)toreturnandgetthecompanybackontrack.He'sbeenputtingtheideashewritesaboutinExecutiontoworkinrealtime.