In their book "Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done," Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan discuss the gap between strategy and execution and note that it is a leader’s responsibility to master the discipline of execution to close this gap. In other words, a leader must be able to execute in order to be effective.
If you want to be an effective leader, you must get things done; you must execute. It is not enough to craft a vision and give a motivating speech. You must have a plan and a process for implementing the work.
So how do you, the leader, execute?
Recognize it is your responsibility
Leaders must recognize that their responsibilities don’t end with the vision or the idea. The leader must be willing, and able, to get involved in the work and to use his/her position to keep the work on track.
The days of a leader “sitting on high and pontificating” are long past (if they ever existed). Even Steve Jobs got involved in the details of a number of projects at Apple.
Instill Discipline
First you must do this within yourself. Second, you must do so within your team. Execution requires discipline and focus which is not usually the fun or easy work. It is much more fun to think strategically and discuss a vision for the organization. As a leader, you need to discipline yourself to get and remain involved in the work, and when necessary, get into the detail. Remember, tasks don’t just “get done” because you want them to.
Discipline for yourself: You need to schedule time to work on the initiative, to attend specific meetings, to receive and respond to updates and questions, to implement a monitoring process so you know how the project is progressing, and you need to be prepared to get involved.
Discipline for your team: For your team, you need to provide clear goals, objectives and expectations. You need to show interest and ask questions. You need to schedule meetings to receive updates. You need to hold them accountable for completing tasks on time.
Develop An Operating Structure
Each important initiative ought to have an operating structure which facilitates the exchange of ideas, the flow of information, the creation of accountability and a methodology for providing progress reports. The operating structure should be understood by each of the team members, and the leader must hold each person accountable to operating within the prescribed structure.
Some people might say that having structure will limit creativity or result in micromanaging. On the contrary, having an operating structure will allow the team members to focus on the work and not on guessing what is expected, who is responsible for what and whether or not people will show up at meetings. An effective operating structure, driven by the leader, minimizes distractions.
Expect what you inspect
If the leader is not “inspecting” the work, in other words following up with those doing the tasks, then he/she can not expect the work to be completed in the manner desired. I know, you shouldn't have to follow up all the time....BUT YOU DO if you want the tasks/projects completed correctly and timely. It is just the nature of the beast that as a leader you should "expect what you inspect". (Look at it from a personal perspective: When you are responsible for a task or project, are you more likely to complete it if you know your boss is going to ask about it or if know your boss is not going to ask about it? It becomes a priority if you know you are going to be asked.)