BACK WORDS WITH ACTION

In this chapter, we’ve identified the elements of style that are common among effective leaders. They are: Authenticity Decisiveness Focus Personal Touch Hard/Soft People Skills Communication Ever Forward

Do you have Jorge Paulo’s dilemma? Do you have too many great young and talented leaders, too many ambitious and capable and driven people? If you create this “problem” for your company, you’ll be forced to go for the next big dream; otherwise, the best ones will go find something else to do.

Reflecting on more than a quarter century of rigorous research into what makes great companies tick, I’ve come to see “first who” as the one principle above all others that you must not get wrong. First in importance, above every other activity, is the imperative to get the right people on the bus.

External Assessment There are seven components of a good external assessment: Industry/market trends Technology trends Competitor assessment Social and regulatory environment Macroeconomy and demographics International threats and opportunities Overall threats and opportunities INDUSTRY/MARKET TRENDS Take a quick snapshot of your industry. How are

Here, then, is a basic architecture of executive decision making we found in our research: Determine how much time you have to decide, whether minutes, hours, days, months, or even years. Stimulate dialogue and debate—guided by facts and evidence—to determine the best options. Make a decision, firm and unambiguous, once you’re clear on what must be

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Most of us are familiar with situations where people are unwilling or afraid to present unpleasant truths. In many cases, who can blame them? The unspoken rule in all too many companies is: We don’t want to see anything negative, even if it is true; we like our rose-colored glasses. Ignoring facts, e

Four Basic Principles of Setting Effective Strategy There are four key principles to keep in mind when setting company strategy. The strategy must descend directly from your vision. Remember, it’s impossible to set strategy unless you have a crystal clear idea of what you’re trying to do in the first place. Vision first, then strategy! The strategy

In our research, we found no systematic pattern linking executive compensation to the process of companies going from good to great. Financial incentives don’t—indeed cannot—cause companies to achieve greatness, for the simple reason that you cannot turn the wrong people into the right people with money. After all, if someone needs financial incent