Having a great strategy means nothing if you can’t execute it.
All the planning, proformas, and polite discussions will get you nowhere without steady progress and consistent execution.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Darko Lovric explain why most companies struggle to bridge the gap between big ideas and real-world results in their latest HBR article, “How to Move from Strategy to Execution.”
Why Execution Fails
Turns out, most companies aren’t bad at strategy—they’re bad at making it happen. Leaders love to blame “culture” or “lack of talent,” but Chamorro-Premuzic and Lovric argue the real issue is a lack of understanding. Without clarity and a solid system, even the best strategies fail.
So, how can you go from dreaming to delivering? The authors outline three key steps:
1. Get Clear on Your Strategy
Not all strategies are created equal. A good one matches your ambition with your capabilities. It avoids two common pitfalls:
- Overly ambitious goals that make everyone think, “How is this going to work?”
- Boring, unambitious goals that lead to a collective “meh.”
Once you have a solid strategy, figure out the capabilities needed to execute it. What skills, tools, or systems do you need? Thinking through all the ways a plan could fail can help identify risks before they become real problems.
2. Organize for Success
Now that you’ve nailed down the “what,” it’s time to tackle the “how.” Execution requires clear roles, responsibilities, and processes. Start by asking:
- Who owns which part of the strategy? Every goal should have a clear owner.
- How will teams work together? Recognize interdependencies.
- Do you have the right people in the right roles? Build roles based on what the strategy needs.
Also, design an operating model that balances structure and flexibility. You need enough clarity for progress reporting but enough adaptability to handle surprises.
3. Build a System That Works
The final step is creating a management system that connects strategy to daily actions. While hierarchy has bad connotations, it’s essential for coordinating complex efforts. The trick is to combine structure with empowerment and feedback.
- Empower your people. Give employees the tools and freedom to adapt to local challenges, and act autonomously (up to a certain point.)
- Build feedback loops. Leaders need quick, honest insights into what’s working and what’s not.
Execution isn’t about micromanaging—it’s about consistent collaborating. And with the right planning, people, and processes, your team can move from ambitious ideas to tangible outcomes.
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