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Closing the Execution Gap: How Great Leaders and Their Companies Get Results

Closing the Execution Gap: How Great Leaders and Their Companies Get Results

by Richard Lepsinger
Publisher: Pfeiffer
Release Date: June 2010
ISBN: 9780470636749
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Book Description

Praise for Closing the Execution Gap

"I got half way through the introduction and was hooked. The book's premise—strategic thinking used to be a leader's main focus but surprisingly that's not enough—gave me confidence that my efforts to drive execution are not in vain. Many of the challenges that Lepsinger describes are exactly what we are experiencing and Closing the Execution Gap gave me a way to organize my thinking into actions I will take at my company. I plan to buy copies for my entire team." Mark Miller President and CEO, New Horizons Worldwide

"Closing the Execution Gap is quick hitting and current. Lepsinger's 'how to' style is easy to read and apply. The examples jumped out and kept me interested and I got value out of every chapter. Companies that are interested in developing managers will use this book the way I intend to use it—as a practical guide to effective execution." Bernard Flynn President and CEO, NJM Insurance Group

"As compared to many leadership books, I found Closing the Execution Gap to be refreshingly practical. I advise the reader to have their yellow highlighter at the ready. I especially liked the forthright analysis and recommendations that came with the author's look at the critical area of accountability." Harold Scharlatt Design and Delivery Manager, Center for Creative Leadership

"Closing the Execution Gap has excellent information and insights that are well connected to meaningful bodies of research. Lepsinger hones in on tangible, real-world problems that many leaders will recognize and then offers practical solutions. Line managers and Learning and Development professionals will find this book of interest because it captures the critical concepts that make an organization and its people successful." Craig DinsellEVP and Head of Human Resources, Oppenheimer Funds, Inc.

Table of Contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Table of Figures
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. About the Author
  6. Introduction
  7. Chapter One - Vision Without Execution Is Hallucination
    1. Yes, There Is an Execution Gap—But That’s Only the Tip of the Iceberg!
    2. “Conventional Wisdom”: Maybe Not So Wise!
    3. The Five Bridges: Gap-Closers That Make the Difference
    4. The Bottom Line
  8. Chapter Two - Bridge Builder 1: Translate Strategy into Action
    1. First Things First: A Brief Look at Strategic Planning
    2. Vision and Standards of Excellence
    3. Aligning Projects and Programs with Strategy
    4. Action Planning: An Execution Essential
    5. The Bottom Line
  9. Chapter Three - Bridge Builder 2: Expect Top Performance
    1. The Pygmalion Effect: Proof That Expectations Drive Performance
    2. Breaking the Cycle
    3. The Bottom Line
  10. Chapter Four - Bridge Builder 3: Hold People Accountable
    1. What Is Accountability Anyway?
    2. Why We Should Hold People Accountable —and Why We Don’t
    3. Assessing Accountability: The Four Levels
    4. Why We Make Excuses
    5. Accountability Boosters: Managing Accountability in Others
    6. The Bottom Line
  11. Chapter Five - Bridge Builder 4: Involve the Right People in Making the Right Decisions
    1. Beyond the Buzzword: What “Empowerment” Really Means
    2. Brain Basics: How Cognitive Systems Impact Judgment and Decision Making
    3. So How Can We Make Better Decisions?
    4. The Bottom Line
  12. Chapter Six - Bridge Builder 5: Facilitate Change Readiness
    1. What Top-Performing Companies Do
    2. Kicking Old Habits: What Addicts Can Teach Us About Change
    3. The Five Levels of Change Readiness
    4. Moving on Up: Facilitating Change with Level-Appropriate Strategies
    5. Holding Up the Mirror: Understanding the Impact of Leader Behavior
    6. The Importance of Change Talk
    7. The Bottom Line
  13. Chapter Seven - Bridge Builder 6: Increase Coordination and Cooperation
    1. Cooperating Versus Competing: The Human Struggle
    2. Encouraging and Sustaining Cooperation
    3. Disagreement Happens: How to Gain Support and Resolve Conflict
    4. The Bottom Line
  14. Conclusion: Five Lessons for Leaders
  15. Appendix - Criteria for Identifying Top-Performing and Less-Successful Companies
  16. Notes
  17. Index