BOOK REVIEW The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
BY THE NUMBERS
Percentage the U.S. economy (GDP) expanded in 2018 (full year) 2.9% 13% 15% Percent higher the S&P 500 finished in the first quarter of 2019 (its best three months since September of 2009) Percentage of millennials ages 25–35 currently living at home (up 5 percent from generation X and double that of baby boomers during those same ages) Amount parents spend annually on adult children ages 18–34 (double the $250 billion spent annually on their own retirement-account contributions) .728% Percent representing on-base plus slugging (OPS) MLB league average in 2018 (.248 batting average, .318 on- base, and .409 slugging, with 4.45 runs scored per game — play ball!) 10 p.m. Time when most of us should be asleep, because research has proven that circadian rhythms are distorted after 10 p.m. for the majority of people
“If everything is important, then nothing is.”
This is the powerful start to Patrick Lencioni’s “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A Leadership Fable.” Most executives, Lencioni argues, are too distracted by other pursuits to focus on what really matters: organizational health. This is a crucial mistake. Leaders are in a prime position to make their company healthy. Organizational health, as defined in the book, is the absence of politics and vague missions, leading to “higher morale, lower turnover, and higher productivity.” Put that way, it’s clear every leader wants a healthy culture. So, how do you achieve one?
Using a story to illustrate his points, Lencioni focuses on the fable of one leader, Vince Green, who faces competitor challenges and brings to light the simplicity and power of organizational health. The narrative is an entertaining departure from other business books and conveys a lesson without making it feel like a lecture. Lencioni goes on to share the four steps leaders can follow to create a healthy organization. He names these by discipline and illustrates each one.
$500 billion
DISCIPLINE 1: BUILD A COHESIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM
It starts with building a leadership team in which everyone’s on the same page. Alignment means understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, holding each other accountable, and fully committing to group decisions.
DISCIPLINE 2: CREATE ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY
Lencioni points out how even a slight lack of clarity between leaders at the top can lead to overwhelming confusion for employees. He advises diving into the typical business “who, what, why, how, when” questions to guide leaders deeper and deeper into creating clarity.
DISCIPLINE 3: OVERCOMMUNICATE CLARITY
Once leadership has created clarity, then it becomes their job to convey it. The simpler the message the better. It should be a basic message with heavy doses of repetition, so much repetition that employees should grow tired of hearing it. This is typically when they can be sure the message has been adopted.
DISCIPLINE 4: REINFORCE CLARITY THROUGH HUMAN SYSTEMS
Finally, reinforce clarity by weaving the messages through every aspect of the organization, including hiring, performance management and incentives, and compensation. For executives seeking additional perspectives on performance management, Patrick Lencioni’s “The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive” is our recommended book this month.
www.compassx.com
NAVIGATING YOUR BUSINESS TO SUCCESS 949.387.9111 3
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter