Overview

     During the last decades of the 1900's, leadership gurus were "in vogue," while anyone promoting the value of "management" was viewed with contempt. Leaders were encouraged to delegate "execution" the tactical side of business, and were told to focus on the supposedly more important issues. With the turn of the century, however, business gurus are recognizing the fallacy of this approach. Boards of Directors are calling for leaders who produce results by engaging in the "discipline and systems of execution" In Execution, Bossidy and Charan summarize their conclusions with three points: Execution is a discipline and integral to strategy, execution is the major job of the business leader, and execution must be the core element of an organization's culture (21). Based on these foundational principles, the authors recommend seven leadership behaviors that create the "discipline of getting things done."

Know your people and your business

     Bossidy and Charan observe that in companies that do not produce long-term, sustainable results, the leaders are usually disconnected from the day-to-day realties of the business. They receive second-hand information that has been filtered through the various biases of their reports. The authors suggest that the way to know your people and to know your business is a hands-on type of leadership that is connected with the realities of the business (57).

     Jesus intimately knew his team and knew his "business." He knew the disciples before he called them (Luke 5: 1-11, 27-31), their motives (Luke 22: 1-6), their weaknesses (Luke 22: 39-45), their hopes and desires (24: 13-33) and their need for a comforter (Luke 22: 49). Jesus knew his team because he was actively engaged in their lives.

Insist on realism

     People naturally play the blame-game, try to hide mistakes, pretend to have a solution when they are clueless, and seek to avoid confrontations. In successful business cultures, however, the leader insists on management by facts, not Pollyanna hopes or wild accusations (67).

     Jesus continually discussed reality. He spoke forthrightly about the challenges he faced personally with the cross as well as those challenges his followers would face (Luke 10:1-17). He dealt with the realities of everyday living-sickness (Luke 7: 1-10), death (Luke 7: 11-17) storms (Luke 8: 22-25), and hunger (Luke 9: 10-17), for example. The difference between Jesus' leadership and much of contemporary leadership is that he not only dealt with the physical reality of his team but also with their spiritual reality.

Set clear goals and priorities

     In a post-modern culture of decentralized decision-making, the leader must clearly articulate the most critical priorities the business must execute well in order to succeed. Bossidy and Charan go so far as to state, "A leader who says 'I've got 10 priorities' doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know himself or what the most important things are" (69).

     Jesus was very aware of his own goals and priorities. This is clearly revealed through his emotional, physical, and spiritual testing in the desert (Luke 4: 1-13). He knew who he was and why he had come. He understood and clearly articulated his mission (Luke 4: 18-19) and would not be derailed and become the physical king that his followers wanted. Jesus was very clear about His goals and priorities.

Follow through

     An execution-strong leader gives direction and then inspects the process and progress, ensuring that the project is completed (71). In Jesus' sending of the seventy-two (Luke 10: 1-17), he gives direction, and later there is also a report-back process. He is following through.

Reward the do-ers

     The blessing-curse principle is embedded deeply in Scripture. In giving the Law to Moses, it was clear that blessings or rewards followed those who kept the Law (Lev. 26: 1-13). Those who disobeyed the Law would experience negative consequences (Lev. 26: 14-45). Jesus is also clear that the "do-ers" are rewarded. For example, in the Beatitudes, those with a pure heart are rewarded with seeing God (Matt. 5:8), those who show mercy are rewarded by mercy (Matt. 5: 7) and those who are persecuted for His name's sake will receive their reward in heaven (Matt. 5: 10).

Expand people's capabilities through coaching

     Most people are familiar with the concept, "Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." Bossidy and Charan advocate that coaching is equivalent of teaching someone to fish. Because of the insight, wisdom, and experience of the leader, he/she asks insightful questions compelling other people to learn, discover, and think for themselves (74). Jesus excelled at asking questions, not only of his listening audience and his critiques, but also of his disciples.

Know yourself

     Leaders need several key characteristics: the emotional fortitude and the strength to be honest with themselves, the realization of economic and organizational realities, and the ability to give people forthright assessments. Dealing with the diversity of viewpoints and personal backgrounds of their team members requires that leaders know themselves, their biases, their strengths, and their vulnerabilities. Emotional fortitude fuels the leader's strength to accept opposing views, deal with conflict, confidently encourage and accept challenge in group settings, and to be comfortable with ambiguity in a fast-moving, complex organization (78). As mentioned previously, Jesus clearly knew himself as is adeptly demonstrated in his desert trials (Luke 4: 1-13).

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