Smarter Execution: Seven steps to getting results

Acknowledgements

First we would like to thank the managers we have been working with over the years and with whom we have learned about the challenges of strategy execution. We want to thank them for entrusting us with their most critical initiatives, for giving us feedback on what worked and what didn’t, for sharing their experience, for arguing with us and for thinking with us, for challenging us, for inspiring us. They taught us that, when it comes to execution, being an effective leader and being an effective manager are just the same.

We also want to thank Des Dearlove and Stuart Crainer for their advice and help in making our ‘brilliant thoughts’ actually legible. And we want to thank Liz Gooster for her patience and support when our own ...