Execution from A Leader's Point of View

Laurence Haughton (author of a number of great business books) focuses a lot on execution. Here's one post named "Follow-through from the Leader’s Point-of-View."

His premise?

Follow-through, (successful execution), from the leader’s point-of-view means making sure that what’s expected gets done.

If you take that simple definition and break it down, the obstacles that doom half of all the best laid plans are much more plain to see:

1. First, everyone needs a clear idea of exactly what is expected.
2. Second, we consistently underestimate how difficult it will be to get everyone to buy in to our best laid plans.

BOTTOMLINE: “Buy-in” is management shorthand for people’s trust in their leadership measured by their willingness to go in unfamiliar directions and to try new things. Buy-in gets everyone at every level to get off their hands (to overcome organizational resistance to change) and pitch in with whatever needs to get done, based on what is expected.