Leadership Quote:  Vision Without Execution…

Leadership Quote: Vision Without Execution…

Business man cartoon character with road to successThis month’s leadership quote:  

Vision without execution is hallucination.

 — Thomas A. Edison

When leaders focus solely on vision and strategy and not on execution, put simply, nothing gets done. Successful leaders know that a vision is a destination that their team can rally around. They also know that while the vision is their job, it is a  team effort to develop a strategy for getting there.

At the same time, once the vision and strategy are defined, results only happen with implementation. And only succeed with the monitoring and evaluation that follows.

In my experience, leaders who see their only job as generating the big ideas and abdicate their leadership role when it comes to execution are suffering from the hallucinations Thomas Edison describes.  By avoiding learning about the people they lead, the technologies their companies use, the customers they serve, and numerous other crucial little things, they miss the key elements of execution.

This is why Vistage members share their vision, strategy and execution plans, are accountable to each other for all three and outperform their industry peers.

 

Elisa K. Spain

 

Given The Opportunity, Create An Experience…

Given The Opportunity, Create An Experience…

Group of young people applauding and looking very happyEarlier this week, I spent two days with one of Vistage’s top speakers, Tom Searcy. Tom’s workshop is about Hunting Big Sales; What to do to Filter and Win the Big Deals. Filter, as in, know which ones to pursue and then what to do to win.

Our members take turns hosting meetings and the second day Tom joined us, the meeting was hosted by Shane Dittrich, CEO of T&D Metal. In reflecting on the day we spent at Shane’s location in Watseka IL, we were all struck by the experience he created for us. And for me, the connection between creating an experience and winning big deals.

Here’s what I observed.
The entire day was intentional and orchestrated – starting with the night before – where to stay, where to eat, the setup and planning of the meals, the transportation, and the tour. Instead of PowerPoint for a prop, Shane used vans from one of his businesses and gave a plant tour. When it came time to give his presentation, he just stood up in front of us and told us his story. And, he didn’t do it all himself, he delegated to several team members. As a result we were able to feel the culture of T&D.
Learnings’ for me from this
-Intentionality yields results
-Given the opportunity to create an experience, do it
-Use real “props” rather than PowerPoint to tell your story
-Bring in your team in ways that demonstrate your culture

Elisa K. Spain

 

Oops, I Was Thinking Out Loud…

Oops, I Was Thinking Out Loud…

2013-08-11 iStock_000025261076XS2mallHow often have we said this to ourselves and discovered unintended consequences. As leaders we know that others are always watching what we do and listening and reacting to what we say. And, when we are with the folks in the office, in the factory or in the field, most of us are conscious of what we say and how we show up.

I wonder though, if we have this same awareness as leaders when we are with our leadership team. Or for that matter, when as members of the leadership team we are with our bosses and our colleagues. You may be thinking (silently?) so, are you saying I want to be aware of what I am saying all the time? Yikes!!

My sense is the answer is yes. When we think out loud, sometimes we create expectations, alarm or even actions that we did not intend. Recently, one of my clients shared this story: “I was sitting in my office with my VP of Operations and I was thinking out loud, wondering what we needed to do next to get to the growth goals I have. I was going on and on about my frustrations and concerns. Next day, he came back into my office and asked me if I was planning to sell the company. He apparently had gone home and thought about what I had said all night”.

I find that if I have the presence to simply say, “May I think out loud for a moment?” or “Can I just vent for a moment?”, that frames the conversation. Sometimes this pausing reminds me that it is best to simply ‘zip it’.

What has been your experience?

Elisa K. Spain

 

Leadership Development: Not Just For Women

Leadership Development: Not Just For Women

2013 06-03 Elisa Spain Women in Business Blog PictureLeadership Development: Not Just for Women

As part of our leadership development, my Vistage groups frequently select a book to read as a group. Recently, my Vistage Inside group chose the book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandburg.

 

On the day we discussed this book in my group, the first person to speak was a man. His comment was “This is not a gender issue. This book resonated for me and the challenges I have in my career”.

This book has garnered both praise and criticism and certainly puts to rest the question of whether a book can spark a debate.

The debate centers around two issues. First, given Sheryl’s wealth and position, is she truly able to advise young women? And, is she placing too much of the onus on women who are already struggling to fulfill impossible demands, and too little on government and employers to provide better child care, more flexible jobs and other concrete gains.

Having begun my career in the 1970’s, for me the book initially was a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  While certainly gender neutrality has occurred in many jobs, the executive suite is one where the numbers say otherwise.

That said, I wonder, is the question really about gender neutrality or is it about the challenges that women and men face as they navigate the path to career advancement?

I wonder if the real questions that Sheryl is suggesting we, women and men, ask are:

  • What is the path to a “seat at the table”?
  • What risks must I take?
  • What personal choices must I make to achieve career success (i.e. choice of mate, where I live, who my friends are)?

And, finally the most key question,

  •  What must I give up, to get what I want?

For more on this topic, see previous post,  Laws of Success: Perfection of The Life or Perfection of The Work

 

Elisa K. Spain