What Great Leaders and Managers DO

There are many books about strategy and in recent years there have been some about execution. After all, CEOs globally are incredibly concerned about being able to execute within their organization. In tough times, it becomes even more critical to get the right things done within your organization. Leaders and managers today have to not only determine which race to run (strategy), they must also figure out how to run the chosen race faster, better, and stronger than anyone else (operational planning and implementation). Both are necessary to stay in business today.

To keep up today, a leader and manager has to DO well at the following:

Get back to basics when everything around you diverts you into complexity

• Make strategic planning a way of life in your organization.
• Use a strategic planning framework to drive what you do and where you focus your energies.
• Embed ongoing strategic planning in your processes. Constantly check for internal and external forces that may impact where you are going, what you need to do and how you need to do it.
• Organize your day around achieving your destination as well as informing, inspiring and engaging others in getting there.

Communicate constantly about your strategic planning framework

• Inform employees of where you are going, where you are today and keep them updated.
• Set clear expectations of what excellence looks like.
• Expose the why behind your decisions.
• Establish individual goals linked to the company’s strategic planning framework.
• Inspire employees by presenting a compelling picture of what the future looks like.
• Engage employees continuously by asking about progress and highlighting accomplishments.

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