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You searched for the string: "Push execution and follow-up" found 12 results
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LEADERSHIP: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
published: 2008-09-01
We've all done it: rushed to the shops and come back without something. And, there's always a reason: someone distracted us, or the phone rang. But, the real reason is we didn't have a list. That simplest of plans.
LEADERSHIP: MAKING CHANGE POSSIBLE
published: 2008-07-14
It's lovely to sit and dream: imagining a better future. But, it takes energy to work out how this might be achieved; and, the real work begins when you have to start organising and implementing.
LEADERSHIP: IT'S WHAT YOU DO THAT COUNTS
published: 2008-06-09
Action is the language of leadership. As elsewhere in life, it's what you do that counts. Yes, you need to meet with people and talk a lot. But, the bottom line is "walking the talk." Action, not theory.
LEADERSHIP: SHARP TOOLS FOR HARD TIMES
published: 2008-12-07
What's the leadership equivalent of reaching for your Swiss Army Knife, and selecting the right blade? It's creating a plan, and populating it with appropriate leadership actions. Actions relevant to current challenges, not old ones. Actions that convince people and build commitment. Things that work, giving traction in this tough new environment.
LEADERSHIP: PROVIDING THE NECESSARY RESOURCES
published: 2009-05-04
Speaking of the Battle of Britain, Winston Churchill immortalised the heroic few, whose bravery saved the lives of many. History is full of similar (but often less upbeat) stories. One that comes to mind is the WWI landing at ANZAC Cove in Turkey, where bungling by Churchill and other leaders left a small contingent of Commonwealth troops outnumbered and under-resourced. Many died in attempting the job they'd been given. In terms of your own leadership (particularly in the current downturn), what would your people say about your provisioning and support - in the context of what you've asked them to do?
LEADERSHIP: IT STARTS WITH LEADING YOURSELF
published: 2009-07-20
It's a wry statement but true: every overnight success is preceded by ten years of slog. A serial entrepreneur said this to me recently. He was talking about his current business venture that's struggling to get traction. But, the same statement also applies to leadership. Getting to the top is a testament to discipline and courage. At each stage, the discipline to make a plan. And, the courage to implement it. Do you have that? And, know what it means today?
LEADERSHIP: BEWARE SELF-DELUSION
published: 2009-09-28
Half a dozen times in the last 20 years, I've worked with a CEO, who'd completely lost touch with reality. In discussing strategy, they believed themselves as informed and proficient as they'd been in their prime. Whether talking about customers, markets, technology or staffing, they knew it all - and, worse, felt no-one was ready to succeed them. But, in each case, their colleagues (particularly their immediate team) saw the fading powers - and the growing self-delusion. So, how would your team rate you on objectivity versus conceit? Are you honest about your strengths and weaknesses - and your use-by date? Here are six check-points.
LEADERSHIP: POWER AND PURPOSE
published: 2010-01-28
US decline and China's inexorable rise are much talked of. But, in a recent article, Josef Joffe* concludes his rebuttal thus. "Gainsayers will still dramatise China's growth rates as a harbinger of a grand power shift. But as the 21st century unfolds, the US will be younger and more dynamic than its competitors." Whether right or wrong, it's an important issue. And, his arguments have resonance for the durability of leaders, as well as nations. He stresses the requirement for "requisite power and purpose." If asked, would your colleagues say you still have these?
LEADERSHIP: DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS NOT HUMILITY
published: 2010-02-08
When someone commented to Winston Churchill that Clement Atlee was a modest man, he famously replied that Atlee had "much to be modest about." I suspect Churchill (in contrast to gurus like Jim Collins) would find the current fashion for bland CEOs unacceptable. Collins says the best are "humble, self-effacing, diligent and resolute souls." Diligent and resolute sound good to me and my four decades of business involvement say they're needed characteristics. But, humble and self-effacing contradict my experience. Some CEOs cultivate quietness and consultation but that's not the same as being humble or self-effacing. So, what kind of CEO are you; and, is it working? Here are some things to ponder.
LEADERSHIP: OLD LESSONS, NEW SETTINGS
published: 2010-04-12
I wrote recently about the Roman statesman, Cicero, highlighting his focus on principles, communication, courage and succession*. I've reflected further and identified five leadership lessons from the political world in which he lived (106-43 BC). The first resonates strongly with more recent events in the Iraq. Importantly, each has implications for business leadership today. So, if I interviewed your peers and staff, how would they rate you on each of the lessons? High, medium or low? What do you need to do to improve on each one?
LEADERSHIP: HOW’S YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND COURAGE?
published: 2010-08-30
What do lobsters, scorpions and bees have in common? Yes, a capacity to inflict a nasty bite. But they also all lack a spine. An exoskeleton (the lobster’s hard shell) is all that holds their bodies together. There’s no internal bone structure. Some leaders are like this. Outer toughness and a nasty bite: the cutting remark or petulant decision. But little inner structure or resolve that makes for true leadership that will deliver results and build respect. What would people say about you: outer show or inner strength? Here are some action options.
LEADERSHIP: TURNING AROUND FAILURE
published: 2010-09-06
I’ve just discovered that my favourite blogger, Seth Godin, is also a columnist with the Harvard Business Review. However, even in this mainstream venue, he retains his quirky preoccupation with what’s wrong in the world. He prises open our minds and this is certainly true when he redefines failure, so we recognise various forms of “getting by” as actually various ways of failing. Below are his eight examples with his introductory wording. For each, I’ve appended an action option – taken from my V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership framework. Ask yourself this: how would colleagues rate you on your readiness to take such actions?