What Is Execution?
Execution is the heart of leadership—turning vision and knowledge into action with passion and discipline, standards and energy. Picture a football team, fourth quarter, goal line stand w 30 seconds left to secure the win. 11 players, executing as 1 unit. Every player gives their all, executing the play with precision and fire. In the office, it’s delivering on the goal—say, launching a product—by rallying the team, staying focused, and pushing through setbacks. Execution isn’t just doing; it’s doing with heart, treating your team like you’d want to be treated, inspiring them to give their best.
Why Execution Matters
Delivers Results: Execution turns alignment’s vision into reality. A 2024 SHRM study shows teams led with passion hit goals 20% faster.
Builds Momentum: Heart-fueled execution creates a culture of accountability. Like mom said, treat people with respect, and they’ll hustle for you.
Overcomes Obstacles: Setbacks happen. Execution’s heart—grit and empathy—keeps the team moving, like a squad rallying after a fumble.
How to Achieve Proper Execution
Fuel Passion (Motivation): Inspire your team.. Tie tasks to your companies “why,” as Simon Sinek says. Example: A manager links a sales push to improving customer lives, boosting effort. Maybe you make a product that helps keep roads clear in the winter, your why is right there… our product helps keep roads clear and safe for everyone’s work commute, first responders, the school bus, etc.
Stay Disciplined (Focus): Execution needs relentless focus. Set clear priorities and check progress weekly.
Empower Action (Trust): Give your team autonomy to act.. A 2023 MIT study says empowered teams execute 25% more effectively. I can’t tell you how many times the kids came off the field after a challenging situation where they were unsure and when they looked to me for the answer, I turned it back to the,. “What do you think is right?” Instant ownership and empowerment.
Celebrate Wins (Reinforcement): Recognize effort, big or small, to keep heart alive. Public shout-outs, like you’d want, boost morale by 15% (Gallup, 2024).
Where Execution Goes Wrong
Lack of Clarity: If the vision or roles aren’t clear, execution flops. People might be busting their butts, but if alignment or assignment is off, the goal and efforts will not be optimized.
Low Morale: Ignoring mom’s rule—disrespecting or micromanaging—kills heart. Again, trust goes a long way. Get alignment and assignment right, build trust and get out of the way to let the players play.
No Follow-Through: Planning without action is just talk. Teams expecting wins without effort fall into the entitlement trap.
Fixing Poor Execution
Clarify Priorities: Revisit the vision and roles daily.
Rebuild Heart: Listen to your team, show empathy, and rebuild trust.
Track Progress: Use simple metrics, like sales targets, to keep execution on track.
Lead by Example: Show heart yourself—own mistakes, stay committed.
Real-World Impact
In the Office: A team aligned on “grow revenue 10%” executes by launching a campaign with passion, hitting 12% growth.
In Life: mA family commits to fitness, executing with daily walks, cheering each other on, supporting healthy choices.
On the Field: A football team, back against the endzone 4 straight plays and the defense holds them out with all 11 players in the picture, fighting for the ball.
My Call
Execution is the heart that pumps life into alignment and assignment. It’s the fourth-quarter grit, the passion to make it happen, rooted in mom’s advice—treat people right, and they’ll run through walls for you. Without heart, you’re just drawing plays on a board. Get it right, and your team becomes unstoppable, like a team fighting for the playoffs. Next up, we’ll tie it all together—alignment, assignment, execution—for a winning leadership playbook.