New Article in Leader to Leader: Leading Strategy Execution

When it comes to leading strategy execution, executives typically make one of two mistakes: their approach is too high level or they get stuck in the weeds. Either way, the result is often the same. They fail to provide necessary leadership to the teams and individuals who implement the strategy. To fix this, leaders must strike the right balance of defining the work to be done and providing guidance and boundaries for how it will be done. Done well, leaders remain involved at the strategic level while establishing clear performance expectations, not micromanaging or getting lost in the details.

For more on how executives can effectively lead results instead of leading activity, check out my in-depth article in the award-winning journal, Leader to Leader. The article shares a framework from The Growth Leader that will help you lead the execution of strategy at all levels of your organization.

Organizational Leadership: Getting Your Teams Back To The Office

Nine out of ten companies are instituting a “return to office” policy, according to Forbes. One hundred percent of the leaders I talk with wrestle with how to do this effectively. After all, “A luxury, once enjoyed, becomes a necessity” (C. Northcote Parkinson). There are undeniable personal conveniences of working at home, and it works particularly well for certain jobs. Years before the pandemic, I wrote for HBR about how remote employees were actually more engaged than their on-site colleagues in some cases.

Lou Gerstner, former CEO of IBM, wrote recently in the Wall Street Journal that Remote Work Is A Leadership Killer. Executives ought to examine this idea, because leadership is not digital. It is personal. It’s about inspiring and motivating others with vision, strategy, and energy. It’s about developing talent, problem solving, and collaborating. Be flexible with remote work where it makes sense but be honest with yourself about the impact and cost to your business.

If you are serious about building a successful organization and a high-performance culture, people (especially leaders) need to show up and work together IRL.

Perspective: Encouraging Others

At least half a dozen times, I considered quitting while writing The Growth Leader. There were a few voices that were especially valuable to me during those discouraging times. One was Bob Dutkowsky, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away a few weeks ago. Bob was the former CEO of TD Synnex, Chairman of the Board of US Foods, and served as the Board Chair for two other Fortune 500 companies during an extraordinary career. When I considered throwing in the towel, he encouraged me to keep going. Sharing his belief and perspective that I was on to important ideas about leading growth that too many CEOs and executives miss. That enabled me to borrow his confidence when mine was waning.

You never know how important your encouragement will be. Best to share it liberally. But if you want it to be valuable, it takes more than platitudes like “Keep going” or “You’re doing great.” Be willing to engage deeply, to help someone improve and make the shifts they need to, so they can reach the proverbial next level. Bob Dutkowsky did that for me. It made a huge difference, and I will always be grateful to him.

LinkedIn Live: What leadership topics do you want to discuss?

I’ll be back in late August with a new line up of livestream events. Are there any topics you’d like me to address on LinkedIn Live? Please let me know by clicking here or replying to this email. Part of the value of the livestream format is that, unlike just reading an article or watching a video, we have the chance to engage and consider how the ideas apply to your unique circumstances. What topics do you want to cover?