“Larry Bossidy teams up with Ram Charan — a genius and one of my favorite authors of all time. They help you think through your plan, create a successful strategy to execute and develop a culture of getting things done. Successfully executing a plan year after year after year may be out of reach for most of us, but don’t pass this one up.”

This is a vintage read from the early 2000s. It is directed towards CEOs and those who want to be CEOs. All that aside, I enjoyed it and I have retrieved some useful nuggets of information that I am able to apply in my current position which is far from the CEO suite. It is a good thing to view the world of work from the top level instead of the trenches. It tends to help put things into perspective for us working guys.

Good. Charan is always sane, concrete, and eminently transferable.

It's not you, it's me.

Well . . . that's what I think at least.

So many business books read like a rehash of a boring seminar and this is no exception. Every page could be a power point. Every line could be a bullet point. Everything is crafted for presentation with very little background, substance or reference. Anecdote is not evidence, yet anecdote is ever-present.

You know, it reminds me of sitting through talks and speeches in church when I was a kid. All Mormon talks are exactly like this - a few bullet points, an anecdote, a weak conclusionary statement and a call to action. Amen.

Maybe that's why I rebel.

A few interesting and helpful suggestions, but for the most part it was a lot of verbiage without much actionable content. Geared for much larger organizations with a larger hierarchical structure of authority where one can push off the actual process of doing to many direct reports.

I almost threw this book away after the first 50 pages--it seemed like a typical business book which explains a relatively simplistic common sense idea in business speak and using 10 pages for every one thought--and dated to boot. But being stuck in the Newark airport for 12 hours and having read everything else on me led me to gradually getting deeper into the book--and by the time I had finished it, I was convinced this is a really helpful book to leaders/managers. The authors' basic idea is that getting things done (right) is not as easy as it sounds--especially not in complex organizations where people are likely to self-promote/claim credit and seek to avoid responsibility. The effective leader should focus simultaneously on three large processes: people, strategy and operations. In describing each process, the authors actually do say some very useful things, bringing out what leaders must do to be effective--and by the same token, what distinguishes good leaders from well educated non-doers. Ownership and accountability, positive energy, listening, and realism are all concepts worth emphasizing--regrettably, too many organizations do not really implement. Well worth reading for business leaders!

В книге рассказывается про построение так называемой «культуры исполнения»:
- мотивация руководства работать на результат
- выстраивание контроля над выполнением планов на всей иерархии сотрудников
- взаимопомощь, наставничество, выращивание кадров, правильная расстановка кадров
- ответственность за взятые на себя обязательства, бесконечная работа над совершенствованием себя и бизнеса
- открытый диалог между всеми сотрудниками, особый упор на высказывание всех своих мыслей и откровенный разговор, обнажение всех проблем на совещаниях для построения реалистичных планов и прогнозов; но не забывать про общение с рядовыми сотрудниками тоже, часто они могут о многом сказать, а ваша открытость и прозрачность политики предприятия снизит накал волнения у них
- движение в сторону больше мобильности: сокращение запасов, большая открытость перед продавцами и поставщиками, быстрая корректировка планов и направления развития при внешних изменениях и разработка планов с учетом непредвиденных обстоятельств и невыполнения некоторых его пунктов
- выставление крайне оптимистичных, но выполнимых планов; поддержание всего бизнеса в тонусе и нацеливание на постоянный рост показателей
- повторюсь, но на это делается большой акцент: планы ставятся крупные, но они разрабатываются и потом согласовываются с непосредственными исполнителями, выясняются стратегии в случае невыполнения планов и оглашается список методов, с помощью которых эти планы планируется выполнить
- методы выполнения планов, вкупе с контролем выполнения приводит к разбиению большого плана компании на более мелкие контрольные точки/задачи, которые проще контролировать, которые ведут к результату постепенно, что позволяет, в свою очередь, быстро подстраиваться под ситуацию и разворачивать курс на 180 градусов
- поддержание производственного плана (цели в показателях, задачи) и стратегического плана (новые перспективы, планирование на будущее, вектор компании) в синхронизированном состоянии, ориентация на завтрашний день; задачи решаются более «позитивно», если исполнитель видит причины возникновения этой задачи и ее более глобальные результаты в стратегическом плане
- перемена оценки работы отделов от сравнения с прошлыми показателями к соответствию будущим, запланированным показателям, показателям конкурентов
- планы и действия обязательно сверяются с положением конкурентов, рынка и собственных кадров и возможностей фирмы; не стоит развивать новую технологию из смежной области, если у вас нет подходящих кадров, кому это под силу; не стоит открывать завод в азии, если нет человека, понимающего тамошнюю обстановку, тех людей, их законы и особенности, ну и политическую обстановку, конечно

В общем, ко��пания должна быть мобильна, контролируема, прозрачна, желающая совершенствоваться в каждом конкретном сотруднике, с выстроенной и справедливой системой мотивации.

Книга все же рассчитана, как и сказано на обложке книги, больше рассчитана на руководящий состав, чем на обычного читателя, из-за этого книга читается не очень приятно, хотя все разжевано и понятно, наблюдается какая-то затянутость и нудность особенно в раскрытии всяких известных (для людей, на которых нацелена книга) топ-менеджеров.

Но и далекому от этого человеку книга позволит взглянуть на постоянно меняющуюся бюрократию фирмы, в которой он работает, по-новому. Более лояльно, как минимум, а то и принять в этом более активное участие.

Обсуждая некоторые моменты из этой книги (а многое в ней актуализировано на 2001 год), высказываются мнения, что очень многое в ней уже устарело. А мое впечатление о том, что книга призывает руководящих лиц «спускаться на ступень ниже», узнавать как можно больше о людях в своем подчинении, в их подчинении, о нюансах своего продукта, его производства, продаж, маркетинга, найма и воспитания кадров и прочего - это миф, и признак плохого руководителя. В книге делается большой упор на помощь высших директоров своим подчиненным в их непосредственной деятельности советами, давать которые, без глубокого погружения, бессмысленно, на мой взгляд. Но будем разбираться дальше, время покажет.

A former manager of mine once told me to read this book. That was back in 2007. It took me until now to read it, but now I understand why he had such high praise for the book.

Execution in it's simplest sense is to: get things done. Period. But it's more complex than those 3 words might suggest. It's about getting the right people in place, building a strategy around the resources available, and finally implementing the strategy, linking the strategy with people.

As with many other books on management science, the veracity of the concepts is undeniable: Nothing is more important than people, candid dialogue leads to realistic plans, following up is crucial in implementation of a strategy. Yet of all the books in this category of literature that I have read, I always encounter the same problem. These concepts are easy to talk about, and even easier to understand, but hard to practice in real life.

In spite of the negatives, I am certain that this is a book that I will refer to again and again for inspiration, and as a reference point on how to execute. If there is one thing I would like to add to this book however, it would be as follows:

Execution is learned through practice, not just reading.

Brilliant !

This was the first book I picked up for my academic leadership reading project, at the recommendation of my university president and others I've talked to. It presents a structured approach to ensuring that "grand plans" actually are turned into reality.

I thought the "building block" framework (seven essential behaviors for leaders, creating a framework for cultural change, and selecting the right people) to be the most relevant part of the book for the context of academic leadership. The "People Process" section and to some extent "Strategy Process" also seemed applicable, but the "Operations Process" felt less relevant and I mostly skimmed over it. (It reminded me that I really have no interest in business management!)

The aspect of the book that resonated the most for me is the theme of honest assessment and feedback, both of the people in the organization (how well are they doing their jobs, and where can they improve) and of the processes (what do we want to do, how will we get there, are we accomplishing what we said we would do, and if not, why not?) That atmosphere of candor and frank dialogue is definitely what I would strive for in any organization that I was in charge of.

Basic business book with all the key words, but also with solid examples... so it evened out, without impressing me. Fundamental idea is that goals without plans are just wishful thinking.

This is my first read of 2025! I have had this book on my TBR list for a while now and am glad I finally flipped the last page.

In Execution, Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan emphasize that execution is not just about making plans—it is the lifeblood that turns strategy into reality. The book argues that many organizations fail not because they lack good strategies but because they struggle to implement them effectively. According to the authors, execution is a systematic process that links people, strategy, and operations, ensuring that businesses consistently deliver results.


The authors highlight that three essential components underpin execution:

1. People – The right people must be in the right roles, with clear expectations and accountability. Execution starts with leaders who know their teams intimately and develop them to perform at their best.

2. Strategy – A well-crafted strategy is only useful if it is realistic, actionable, and continuously adapted based on execution feedback. Leaders must translate high-level strategies into clear goals that can be acted upon.

3. Operations – Day-to-day activities, processes, and resource allocations must be aligned with strategic objectives. Leaders must focus on setting priorities, monitoring performance, and ensuring that execution remains a discipline within the organization.


For these three processes to work together effectively, organizations need what the authors call "social software"—the culture, habits, and mechanisms that drive execution. This includes:

1. Robust Dialogue – Open and candid discussions where employees and leaders can challenge assumptions, debate ideas, and align on decisions based on reality rather than hierarchy or politics.

2. Accountability – Ensuring that commitments made during planning translate into actions, with clear ownership of responsibilities and follow-through.

3. Personal Connection – Leaders must stay close to their teams, understand challenges at all levels and show employees how their contributions tie into the bigger strategic vision of the organization.

4. Emotional Fortitude: leaders with emotional fortitude actively engage with their teams, ask the right questions, and face uncomfortable truths about their organization’s performance. This honesty ensures that execution efforts are grounded in reality rather than wishful thinking.


Taken together, execution is a discipline, not an afterthought—it requires constant attention and adaptation.

Strategy without execution is meaningless; execution ensures that goals translate into real-world impact.

Leadership is deeply involved in execution—setting direction and ensuring teams stay aligned, motivated, and accountable.

Follow-through is critical—decisions must be made and carried out, tracked, and refined based on results.