Leadership-In-Action©.
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Leadership-in-Action©
Why is Leadership-in-Action© important?
In a recent survey, only 20% of senior executives scored high in strategy execution skills. Interestingly, they are leaders motivated by achievement and power. They are often more task-oriented than people-oriented. They are excellent at managing relationships.
How does Leadership-in-Action© relate to strategy execution?
Every organisation has a certain leadership capability to execute its chosen strategy. This capability naturally occurs in only about 20% of leaders. So organizations must obtain, train, maintain, and retain such skills to increase their execution proficiency.
Benefits of building proper Leadership-in-Action© capability
• First to market every time.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Brand reputation for getting it done and being innovative.
• Stakeholder returns.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Brand reputation for getting it done and being innovative.
• Stakeholder returns.
What competencies do C-Suite Executives require to make strategy happen?
• Face conflict head on.
• Highly skilled with all kinds of people.
• Able to adapt to requirement of situation change.
• Skilled at minimizing resistance to change.
• Shares feelings, opinions with clarity and conviction.
• Gains buy-in by exploring alternative ideas to reach.
• Solutions that have support from opposing parties.
• Leads courageously.
• Makes decisions in the face of dissent.
• Task focused more than People oriented.
• Motivated by achievement and power.
• Highly skilled with all kinds of people.
• Able to adapt to requirement of situation change.
• Skilled at minimizing resistance to change.
• Shares feelings, opinions with clarity and conviction.
• Gains buy-in by exploring alternative ideas to reach.
• Solutions that have support from opposing parties.
• Leads courageously.
• Makes decisions in the face of dissent.
• Task focused more than People oriented.
• Motivated by achievement and power.
Tips and tricks
• Make strategy execution skills a focus in your leadership development programmes.
• Train your recruiting agents to hunt for talent with strategy execution profiles.
• Regularly assess strategy execution capability among the top layers.
• Train your recruiting agents to hunt for talent with strategy execution profiles.
• Regularly assess strategy execution capability among the top layers.
Companies who have a higher percentage of Leaders who execute their strategy, faster and more effectively than others will win.
Strategy-in-Action©
What is Strategy Execution?
Strategy execution is a hot topic in management today. In fact, the Conference Board’s recent Survey of CEOs revealed that chief executives are so concerned about strategy execution that they rated it as both their number one and number two most challenging issue.
Strategy execution refers to the implementation of the strategy. Research reveals that up to 90 per cent of strategies fail to be executed. The challenge for leaders is to not only to craft the right strategy but to successfully execute it. Only then can they deliver on their promises to shareholders.
Why is it important?
The capability to execute strategy rapidly and effectively is, in itself, a differentiator in the marketplace. The agility required to execute strategy will become more and more important as technology grows exponentially.
How does it relate to strategic planning?
The business plan is the manifestation of the business strategy. Strategy execution is the ability to turn the strategic planning process into action to achieve the results promised in the business plan.
Benefits of proper strategy execution
• First to market every time.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Brand reputation for getting it done.
• Stakeholder returns.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Brand reputation for getting it done.
• Stakeholder returns.
What is the role of C suite executives?
• Focus sufficient attention of key stakeholders on implementation infrastructure and processes.
• Active and constant communication, keep the spotlight on .
• Select higher priority strategic projects and ensuring resources are allocated.
• Formalise and standardise processes to analyse and record lessons learned.
• Hire and develop leaders with strong strategy execution skills.
• Active and constant communication, keep the spotlight on .
• Select higher priority strategic projects and ensuring resources are allocated.
• Formalise and standardise processes to analyse and record lessons learned.
• Hire and develop leaders with strong strategy execution skills.
Tips and tricks
• Have a consistent execution framework
• Regularly assess strategy execution capability
• Communicate often using stakeholder networks
• Provide leaders with resources and authority
• Manage the change journey consciously
• Make use of incentives
• Regularly assess strategy execution capability
• Communicate often using stakeholder networks
• Provide leaders with resources and authority
• Manage the change journey consciously
• Make use of incentives
Leaders who execute their strategy, faster and more effectively than others will win.
Mission Critical Teams©
Components of action learning process
Reginald Revans, the father of action learning said:L=P+Q where L is LEARNING, P is PROGRAMMED KNOWLEDGE and Q is INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONS.
Mission Critical Teams©
Strategy execution often requires the solving of highly complex “never been done before” challenges. Cross functional teams are usually required to solve such execution challenges. We use action learning teams and the related tools to implement the solutions and develop leadership skills.
Why is it important?
Leaders who can overcome complex challenges and learn fast will be hero’s of the future. The capability to execute strategy rapidly and effectively is, in itself, a differentiator in the marketplace. The agility required to execute strategy will become more and more important as technology grows exponentially.
Benefits of action learning
• First to market every time.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Return on programme investment 10:1.
• Cost savings and efficiencies when implementing.
• Return on programme investment 10:1.
What is the role of C suite executives?
• Sponsor the teams.
• Set the challenges.
• Provide resources.
• Active and constant communication, keep the spotlight on.
• Select higher priority strategic projects and ensuring resources are allocated.
• Set the challenges.
• Provide resources.
• Active and constant communication, keep the spotlight on.
• Select higher priority strategic projects and ensuring resources are allocated.
Tips and tricks
• High potential leadership development program.
• Real people solving real problems in real time.
• Develop strategy execution skills.
• Real people solving real problems in real time.
• Develop strategy execution skills.
Action learning is proven to be the best method of developing leaders for the future.
Organisation Capability Assessment©
What questions should be asked to assess the organisations capability to execute it’s strategy?
These are divided in Four categories:
• Have we identified the external forces driving and constraining the execution?
• Have we identified changes to information systems to support execution?
• Have we modified the information systems?
• Have we identified critical operations processes to enable the execution?
• Have we identified policies and procedures that help or hinder execution?
• Have we identified critical roles to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
• Have we identified critical resources to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
• Have we identified critical capabilities to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
If so, for each of above do we have “fan the flames” and risk mitigation plans
These are divided in Four categories:
1. Human Work System Assessment
• Have we identified the external forces driving and constraining the execution?
• Have we identified changes to information systems to support execution?
• Have we modified the information systems?
• Have we identified critical operations processes to enable the execution?
• Have we identified policies and procedures that help or hinder execution?
• Have we identified critical roles to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
• Have we identified critical resources to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
• Have we identified critical capabilities to execute different aspects and phases of the plan?
If so, for each of above do we have “fan the flames” and risk mitigation plans
2. Leadership Execution Skills Assessment
• Do our leaders responsible for execution have these characteristics?
• Task achievement (more than people) orientation.
• Faces conflict head on.
• Highly skilled with ALL kinds of people.
• Able to adapt fast when the situation changes.
• Skilled at dealing with resistance to change.
• Shares feelings, opinions with clarity and conviction.
• Gains buy-in by exploring alternative ideas to reach solutions that have support from opposing parties.
• Leads courageously to make decisions in the face of dissent.
• Task achievement (more than people) orientation.
• Faces conflict head on.
• Highly skilled with ALL kinds of people.
• Able to adapt fast when the situation changes.
• Skilled at dealing with resistance to change.
• Shares feelings, opinions with clarity and conviction.
• Gains buy-in by exploring alternative ideas to reach solutions that have support from opposing parties.
• Leads courageously to make decisions in the face of dissent.
3. Organisation Learning Ability Assessment
• Have we discussed and evaluated our track record of execution?
• Do we know what has worked and why and what has failed and why?
• Do we have a formal process for learning and capturing learning?
• Have we designed feedback loops into our execution framework to make sure that we learn from the past?
• Do we use questioning and reflection techniques?
• Do we use hypotheses, iterations and learning from action?
• Do we have regular structured learning sessions?
• Do we know what has worked and why and what has failed and why?
• Do we have a formal process for learning and capturing learning?
• Have we designed feedback loops into our execution framework to make sure that we learn from the past?
• Do we use questioning and reflection techniques?
• Do we use hypotheses, iterations and learning from action?
• Do we have regular structured learning sessions?
4. Strategy Execution Infrastructure Assessment
• Does everyone understand the vision, strategy, direction and reason for change?
• Is everything we need (resources, systems, staff, structure) for the journey?
• Does everyone know the 5 to 7 absolutely critical imperatives to be achieved?
• Are all the stakeholders identified and are they onboard?
• Are the communication channels identified and operational?
• Are the monitoring and measuring processes in place?
• Are our leaders/sponsors capable to lead the execution of the strategy?
• Do we have enough leaders/sponsors to execute the strategy?
• Have we appointed and trained those who own the new processes and results therof?
• Have we identified and tasked teams of line managers/change agents to execute imperatives?
• Do we hire, develop, keep and reward leaders who have specific execution skills?
• Have we built support infrastructure (systems, processes, staff) to sustain the changes? all the efforts
• Is everything we need (resources, systems, staff, structure) for the journey?
• Does everyone know the 5 to 7 absolutely critical imperatives to be achieved?
• Are all the stakeholders identified and are they onboard?
• Are the communication channels identified and operational?
• Are the monitoring and measuring processes in place?
• Are our leaders/sponsors capable to lead the execution of the strategy?
• Do we have enough leaders/sponsors to execute the strategy?
• Have we appointed and trained those who own the new processes and results therof?
• Have we identified and tasked teams of line managers/change agents to execute imperatives?
• Do we hire, develop, keep and reward leaders who have specific execution skills?
• Have we built support infrastructure (systems, processes, staff) to sustain the changes? all the efforts
What gets measured gets done!