Creating a Plan is Easy. Executing The Work is Hard.
Every CEO loves the clean slate moment when the whiteboard session, where the big idea and goal take shape. You write it down. You make the plan. Everyone nods. The energy is electric.
That’s the easy part. It can also be fun.
The hard part? Doing the work.
Showing up when the day gets messy.
Keeping the momentum when things go sideways.
In my new upcoming book, What Every CEO Must Know, 37 Secrets to Lead with Confidence and Power, I talk about how too many leaders mistake planning for progress. A well-written plan feels good. But a plan without consistent action is a blueprint for frustration and missed outcomes.
The CEOs who hit their targeted outcomes know:
- Execution beats perfection. The plan can (and will) evolve, but you can’t wait until it’s flawless to start.
- Discipline trumps motivation. Motivation is fleeting. Discipline gets you through the grind.
- Action creates clarity. You’ll learn more by moving than by sitting in the conference room debating what might happen. When you take action, feedback will follow. Then you reiterate and improve. Move the needle.
If you’re leading a team right now, ask yourself:
- Are we executing, or just refining the plan?
- Do we have daily, weekly, monthly, and ongoing accountability, or are we waiting for quarterly reviews to find out we’re behind? (Oh, how QBRs were painful at times – Quarterly Business Reviews)
- Am I modeling the consistency I expect from my team?
The bottom line: Your goal will not get done because it’s on paper. It will get done because you work the plan.
What’s one goal you’ve been carrying from quarter to quarter? Start now. Take one step today. And don’t stop until it’s real.
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Thank you for stopping by my CEO InSights blog. I appreciate your readership.
To purchase my first book, “The Rookie CEO, You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!” in any format, please visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LSLLXZN. Amazon has all four formats.
You can purchase the hardcover and audiobook at any retail bookstore or ask your local library. The eBook and paperback are currently available on Amazon.