Press Kit
Press Kit
Press Kit
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important requires you to go against your basic wiring as a leader and focus on less, so that
your team can achieve more. When you implement Discipline 1, you start by selecting one, or at the most, two extremely
important goals, instead of trying to significantly improve everything all at once. We call this a Wildly Important Goal (WIG),
to make it clear to the team that this is the goal that matters most. Failure to achieve it will make every other accomplishment
seem secondary, or possibly even inconsequential.
If youre currently trying to execute 5, 10, or even 20 important goals, the truth is that your team cant focus. When you
narrow the focus of your team to one or two Wildly Important Goals, the team can easily distinguish between what is truly
top priority and what is the Whirlwind. They move from a loosely defined and difficult-to-communicate collection of
objectives to a small, focused set of targets that are achievable.
Lag measures are the tracking measurements of the Wildly Important Goal. Revenue, profit, market share, and customer
satisfaction are all lag measures, meaning that when you receive them, the performance that drove them is already in the past
and cannot be fixed.
Lead measures measure the most high-impact things your team must do to reach the goalthe new behaviors that will drive
success on the lag measures.
A good lead measure has two basic characteristics: its predictive of achieving the goal and it can be influenced by the team
members. Consider the simple goal of losing weight. While the lag measure is pounds lost, two lead measures might be a
specific limit on calories per day and a specific number of hours of exercise per week. These lead measures are predictive
because by performing them, you can predict what the scale (the lag measure) will tell you next week. They are influenceable
because both of these new behaviors are within your control.
Acting on the lead measures is one of the little-known secrets of execution. Once youve identified your lead measures, they
become the key leverage points for achieving your goal.
Discipline 3 is the discipline of engagement. In principle, the highest level of performance always comes from people who are
emotionally engaged. And, the highest level of engagement comes from knowing the scorethat is, if people know whether
they are winning or losing. This requires the creation of a simple but compelling scoreboard.
The kind of scoreboard that will drive the highest levels of engagement with your team will be one that is designed solely for,
and often by, the players. It must be simple so that members of the team can determine instantly if they are winning or losing.
If the scoreboard isnt clear, the game you want people to play will be abandoned in the Whirlwind of other activities. And if
your team doesnt know whether or not they are winning the game, they are probably on their way to losing.
The cadence of accountability is a rhythm of regular and frequent meetings of any team that owns a Wildly Important Goal.
These meetings happen at least weekly and ideally last no more than 20 to 30 minutes. In that brief time, team members hold
each other accountable for producing results, despite the Whirlwind.
The magic is in the cadence. Team members must be able to hold each other accountable regularly and rhythmically. Each
week, one by one, team members answer a simple question: What are the one or two most important things I can do in the
next week, outside the Whirlwind, that will have the biggest impact on the scoreboard? Then, members report on whether
they met the previous weeks commitments, how well they are moving the lead and lag measures on the scoreboard, and their
commitments for the coming week, all in only a few minutes.
The secret to Discipline 4, in addition to the repeated cadence, is that team members create their own commitments. Because
they make their own commitments, their ownership of them increases. Team members will always be more committed to their
own ideas than they will to orders from above. Making commitments to their team members, rather than solely to the boss,
shifts the emphasis from professional to personal. The commitments go beyond their job performance to becoming promises
to the team.
Because the team commits to a new set of objectives each week, this discipline creates a just-in-time weekly execution plan that
adapts to challenges and opportunities that can never be foreseen in an annual strategic plan. In this way, the plan is adapting
as fast as the business is changing. The result? The team can direct enormous energy to the Wildly Important Goal without
getting blocked by the shifting Whirlwind of change all around them.
When your team begins to see the lag measure of a big goal moving as a direct result of their efforts, they will know they are
winning. And, we have found nothing drives the morale and engagement of a team more than winning.
4 DISCIPLINES THINKING
Too many organizational goals are hazy and imprecise, leaving people wondering, what
they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to do it. Discipline 1 provides clear,
unmistakable finish lines so people know exactly what success looks like.
THE 4 DISCIPLINES
OF EXECUTION
An orderly pattern of conduct that leads to achievement of an organizational goal with
excellence. The 4 Disciplines are based on deep research and fieldwork, as well as fundamental
principles of human behavior, and are proprietary to FranklinCovey (Franklin Covey Co.).
DISCIPLINE
A consistent regimen that leads to freedom of action. Without consistent discipline, the team
loses the ability to achieve WIGs with precision and excellence, thus losing influence and scope
for action.
DISCIPLINE 1
Focus on the Wildly Important: The practice of defining crucial goals and narrowing the teams
focus to those goals. Work teams who practice Discipline 1 are totally clear on a few WIGs and
the lag measures (see entry) for those goals.
DISCIPLINE 2
Act on the Lead Measures: The practice of consistently carrying out and tracking results on
those high-leverage activities that will lead to achievement of WIGs. Work teams who practice
Discipline 2 are clear on the lead measures of their goals and track them carefully.
DISCIPLINE 3
Keep a Compelling Scoreboard: The practice of visibly tracking key success measures on a goal.
Work teams who practice Discipline 3 are continually preoccupied with moving the measures on
the scoreboard.
DISCIPLINE 4
Create a Cadence of Accountability: The practice of regularly and frequently planning and
reporting on activities intended to move the measures on the WIG scoreboard. Work teams
who practice Discipline 4 make individual and collective commitments and account for those
commitments in weekly WIG Sessions.
EXECUTION
The discipline of getting things done as promised on time, on budget, and with quality; what
executives are hired to do!
WILDLY
IMPORTANT
GOAL WIG: A goal essential to carrying out the organizations mission or strategy. Failure to achieve
this goal will render all other achievements secondary.
CHRIS MCCHESNEY
Chris McChesney is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for FranklinCovey and one of
the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. For more than a decade, he has led
FranklinCoveys ongoing design and development of these principles, as well as the consulting
organization that has achieved extraordinary growth in many countries around the globe
and impacted hundreds of organizations. Chris has personally led many of the most noted
implementations of the 4 Disciplines, including the State of Georgia, Marriott International, Shaw
Industries, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The Kroger Co., The Coca-Cola Co., Comcast,
Frito-Lay, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Gaylord Entertainment. This practical experience
has enabled him to test and refine the principles contained in The 4 Disciplines of Execution from
the boardroom to the front line of these and many other organizations.
Chriss career with FranklinCovey began by working directly with Dr. Stephen R. Covey and
has continued for more than two decades to include roles as a Consultant, Managing Director,
and General Manager within the organization. Chris launched the first 4 Disciplines of Execution
Practice in FranklinCoveys Southeast Region, and today has seen it expand around the globe.
Throughout this period of significant growth and expansion, Chris has maintained a single focus:
to help organizations get results through improved execution.
Known for his high-energy and engaging message, Chris has become a highly sought-after
speaker, consultant, and advisor on strategy execution. He regularly delivering keynote speeches
and executive presentations to leaders in audiences ranging from the hundreds to several
thousand.
Chris and his wife Constance are the proud parents of five daughters and two sons. His love of
family is combined with his passion for boating, water sports, coaching, and trying to keep up
with his children.
SEAN COVEY
Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for FranklinCovey
and oversees FranklinCoveys international operations in 141 countries around the globe. Sean
also serves as FranklinCoveys Education Practice Leader, which is devoted to transforming
education throughout the world through implementing principle-centered leadership.
As the Chief Product Architect for FranklinCovey, Sean organized and directed the original
teams that conceived and created The 4 Disciplines of Execution and has been an avid practitioner
and promoter of the methodology ever since. Sean has also overseen the design and development
of most of FranklinCoveys other solutions, including The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,
Leadership Greatness, Focus, The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, and The Leader in
Me.
Sean is a New York Times best-selling author and has written several books, including The 6
Most Important Decisions Youll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into 20 languages and sold over four million
copies worldwide. He is a popular, versatile keynoter who regularly speaks to kids and adults and
within schools and organizations. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows as well.
Sean graduated with honors from BYU with a bachelors degree in English, and later earned his
M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. As the starting quarterback for BYU, he led his team to
two bowl games and was twice selected as the ESPN Most Valuable Player of the Game.
Born in Belfast, Ireland, Seans favorite activities include going to movies, working out, hanging
out with his kids, riding his motorcycle, and writing books. Sean and his wife Rebecca live with
their children in the Rocky Mountains.
JIM HULING
Jim Huling is the Managing Consultant for FranklinCoveys The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
In this role, Jim is responsible for the 4 Disciplines methodology, teaching methods, and the
quality of delivery worldwide. Jim also regularly leads large-scale engagements, including the
4DX implementation for Marriott International, Inc., The Kroger Co., The Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Company, and a number of large hospitals. He is a sought-after keynote speaker for events
ranging from senior executive sessions to audiences in the thousands.
Jims career spans over three decades of corporate leadership, from Fortune 500 organizations to
privately-held companies, including serving as CEO of a company recognized as one of the 25
Best Companies to Work for in America. Prior to joining FranklinCovey, Jim was one of the
first leaders to adopt The 4 Disciplines of Execution and used it to drive performance for almost
five years. This experience enabled him to significantly enhance the methods by which the 4
Disciplines is taught and implemented around the world.
Jims teams have won national awards for customer service excellence, business ethics, and an
outstanding culture, as well as numerous local and regional awards as a workplace of choice.
Jims personal awards also include being selected for the Turknett Leadership Character Award,
recognizing CEOs who demonstrate the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Jim holds a degree in computer science from the University of Alabama, a degree in music from
Birmingham-Southern College, and serves on the boards of several local organizations, as well as
the Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics, and Character.
Jim is most proud of his wonderful marriage of more than 30 years to his sweetheart Donna, and
being Dad to two phenomenal adults, Scott and Sarah, and Papa to his three grandkids. He
holds a third degree black belt in taekwondo, and is an avid runner, backpacker, and white-water
rafter.
We all hear about strategy, strategy, strategy. How good is a strategy if its
not executed properly?
We all know that even the most brilliant strategy can fail if its not executed with excellence. But
weve also learned that effective execution can actually improve the strategy of an organization
by tapping into the commitment and creativity that high performance brings. 4DX defines
specific rules for execution and when those rules are applied both the strategy and the results are
affected in profound ways.
Does The 4 Disciplines process need to start with the executive team in an
organization?
Not necessarily. Weve had great success in organizations where the most senior leaders have
been passionate adopters of 4DX, but weve also seen a single team use the 4 Disciplines to create
results so exceptional that 4DX then spread throughout the entire companya campfire that
became a wildfire.
Second, the scorekeeping on the Lead Measure may not be accurate enough. If the score lacks
precision, you may have a false view of the teams real performance.
Third, you may be moving the Lead Measure, but not far enough. This is similar to reducing
your calorie intake, but not reducing it enough to actually lose weight.
Fourth, you could have a Lead Measure that is not predictive meaning it does not actually
affect the Lag Measure. Although this conclusion is disappointing, it highlights another
advantage of 4DX the ability to quickly determine whether a particular Lead Measure gives the
team leverage for achieving their goal. This determination can avoid wasted time and energy and
allows you to focus your team more effectively. Good execution actually helps your refine your
strategy.
An additional benefit is the continuity and sustainability of 4DX. The disciplines are literally
an operating system that once adopted, can be used over and over again for achieving the teams
most critical goals, no matter how the strategy changes from year to year.
Finally, as the team members work in a cadence of accountability each week, they begin to see
their teammates regularly following through on commitments and producing results. This visible
demonstration of dependability builds trust and respect within in a team, often to unprecedented
levels. As one of our clients said in the book, They walk with a swagger because they know they
are winners.
Please share some examples of how businesses have used The 4 Disciplines
process and what the results were?
One of the greatest strengths of 4DX is the ability of the disciplines to drive changes in human
behavior. Today, we consistently see organizations and teams whose strategies actually depend
on new behaviors strategies such as increasing customer satisfaction, expanding to new services,
increasing speed of delivery strategies that cannot be achieved without getting people to do
things differently. In these few examples, as well as the many examples documented in our book,
you see the results that these changes can bring:
The Towne Park organization, one of the countrys largest valet parking companies doubled the
revenue of the company twice using the 4 Disciplines.
The Georgia Department of Human Services, after years ranked as one of the lowest performing
departments in the country, reduced repeat cases of child maltreatment by a stunning 60%.
The Chicago region of Comcast went from last place (out of more than a dozen regions) to #2 in
just under two years using the 4 Disciplines in every aspect of the operation.
The Marriott Marquis in NYC, the largest and most profitable Marriott hotel in the world,
produced the highest guest satisfaction, event satisfaction, and the highest revenue and profit in
the thirty year history of the property during their first year using 4DX.
Weve also seen teams in the public sector delivering astounding cost reductions, such as a public
utility that reduced costs by $60 million through innovations in alternate energy sources and a
state department that found a surprising $1.5 million in reduced vehicle expense.
Finally, weve seen some of our most dramatic results in hospitals that have significantly
increased the level of patient satisfaction. Several hospitals have reached the top 10 percent
ranking nationally.
Our website, 4DXBook.com, includes video case studies of the results we have achieved in health
care and state government, as told by the leaders themselves.
The second change is in the accountability. Most commitments made in teams are actually
conditional - the person is committed to following through, unless something big comes up.
Of course, something big always comes up, so most commitments are forgotten in the Whirlwind
of the week. 4DX changes commitments from conditional to unconditional meaning each
individual is personally committed to making them happen, despite the demands of their week.
This change alone dramatically increases the results a team produces, but also begins to build
trust and respect in the team. Their engagement is not because the organization is winning, or
even that you as their leader are winningits because they are winning.
The second obstacle is focusing on leading outcomes or behaviors, rather than overall results.
Leaders are most often measured and compensated based on results, and over time, most of their
focus is on these outcomes. Unfortunately, this focus doesnt drive the highest performance
its like driving a car while looking in the rearview mirror. 4DX asks a leader to put a
disproportionate focus on the outcomes or behaviors that will lead to results.
What if you have people on your team who dont want to implement
The 4 Disciplines? How do you engage them in the process?
It is very common to see some people who will naturally resist any kind of change. One of the
keys things weve learned about changing human behavior is when theres no involvement,
theres no commitment.
So, the process we use to launch 4DX is designed around getting buy-in and a high degree of
involvement up front. We have found that if these people, who we refer to as resisters, get the
chance to help create the game, they are much more willing to play the game.
So many of the wildly important things in our lives never get the attention we should give them
because they arent urgent. Caring for our health, helping our children, getting more education,
strengthening our marriagethese things tend to take second place to the whirlwind of
urgencies that require our attention right now.
Could it be that the missing link is an operating system for changing human behaviora system
like 4DX? Do we think 4DX can apply to your personal life? Our answer is a resounding yes! In
fact, we think the principles in this book can help you to achieve any great purpose you have in
mind.
2. Your WIG and from X to Y by When Lag Measure, as well as your week by week targets
for performance
4. Your teams commitments from last week and status on follow through, as well as
commitments for next week
5. At-a-glance summary tracking of WIGs, Lead Measures, WIG Sessions and Commitments
The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers more than theories for making strategic organizational
change. The authors explain not only the what but also how effective execution is achieved.
They share numerous examples of companies that have done just that, not once, but over and
over again. This is a book that every leader should read!
Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School and
author of The Innovators Dilemma
It is one thing to establish goals, but quite another thing to execute them. MBA programs focus
heavily on strategy, but offer virtually no training in executionand its execution that keeps
leaders awake at night.
Best-selling author Sean Covey, coauthors Chris McChesney and Jim Huling, and the Franklin
Covey organization have spent more than a decade studying why execution so often fails, what
can be done to fix it, and what it takes to achieve Wildly Important Goals(WIGs). They have
worked with more than 13,000 teams and 200,000 people in hundreds of organizations in every
kind of industry, as well as in schools and in government agencies worldwide.
The result of their findings is an essential new book, THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION:
Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling
(Free Press/April 24, 2012/$28.00 hardcover), which provides a simple, repeatable, proven
formula for achieving the goals you simply must reach. These 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)
allow leaders to effectively deal with the most difficult aspect of creating breakthrough results:
executing a strategy that requires a change in behavior.
Underlying the 4 Disciplines is the concept of the Whirlwindthe massive amount of energy
necessary just to keep an operation going on a day-to-day basis. The Whirlwind is the real enemy
of strategic execution. While a new strategy is important, the Whirlwind is urgent, and urgency
wins out every time. THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION shows how to separate Wildly
Important Goals (WIGs) from the Whirlwind so that breakthrough results can be achieved,
while still sustaining the urgent work necessary to keep the organization running.
Franklin Covey Co. All rights reserved. 18
The 4 Disciplines of Execution
PRESS RELEASE
The 4 Disciplines of Execution are sequential and interdependentthey must be done in order
and done well to achieve breakthrough results. They are:
1. Focus on the Wildly Important. Give your best effort to those few goals that really matter
instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
2. Act on the Lead Measures. Carefully track the lead measures and let the lag measures take
care of themselves.
3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard. Make sure everybody knows the score at all times so they
can tell if they are winning or not.
These disciplines are deceptively simple to state, but they are not simplistic. They will
profoundly change the way you approach your goals, and represent a major breakthrough
in how to move teams and organizations forward. When done correctly, the 4 Disciplines of
Execution lead to superb results every time.
For more information on The 4 Disciplines of Execution, see the electronic presskit by visiting
www.4dxbook.com
Chris McChesney is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for Franklin Covey Co. and one
of the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. For more than a decade, he has led
FranklinCoveys ongoing design and development of these principles, as well as the consulting
organization that has achieved extraordinary growth in many countries around the globe and
impacted hundreds of organizations.
Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for Franklin Covey
Co. and oversees FranklinCoveys international operations in 141 countries around the globe. As
the Chief Product Architect for FranklinCovey, Sean organized and directed the original teams
that conceived and created The 4 Disciplines of Execution and has been an avid practitioner and
promoter of the methodology ever since.
Jim Huling is the Managing Consultant for Franklin Coveys The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
Jims career spans more than three decades of corporate leadership, from Fortune 500
organizations to privately held companies, including serving as CEO of a company recognized
as one of the 25 Best Companies to Work for in America. Prior to joining FranklinCovey, Jim
was one of the first leaders to adopt The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
To download high-resolution digital images of Free Press covers, authors, and selected interior
illustrations, as well as press releases, author bios, and excerpts of current and recent titles, please
visit www.simonandschuster.biz.
Dear Editor/Writer/Host/Producer:
It is one thing to establish goals, but quite another thing to execute them. MBA programs
focus heavily on strategy, but offer virtually no training in executionand its execution
that keeps leaders awake at night.
Best-selling author Sean Covey, coauthors Chris McChesney and Jim Huling, and the
Franklin Covey organization have spent more than a decade studying why execution
so often fails, what can be done to fix it, and what it takes to achieve Wildly Important
Goals(WIGs). They have worked with more than 13,000 teams and 200,000 people in
hundreds of organizations in every kind of industry, as well as in schools and in government
agencies worldwide.
Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important. Give your best effort to those few goals that
really matter instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
Discipline 2: Act on the Lead Measures. Carefully track the lead measures and let the lag
measures take care of themselves.
Discipline 3: Keep a Compelling Scoreboard. Make sure everybody knows the score at all
times so they can tell if they are winning or not.
These disciplines are deceptively simple to state, but they are not simplistic. They will
profoundly change the way you approach your goals, and represent a major breakthrough
in how to move teams and organizations forward. When done correctly, the 4 Disciplines of
Execution lead to superb results every time.
Chris McChesney is the Global Practice Leader of Execution for Franklin Covey Co. and
one of the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Sean Covey is Executive
Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for Franklin Covey Co., and oversees
FranklinCoveys international operations in 141 countries around the globe. Jim Huling is
the Managing Consultant for Franklin Coveys The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
If you are interested in featuring The 4 Disciplines of Execution, in interviewing the authors,
or if you would like to receive a copy of the book, please contact us.
Best wishes,
Contact:
A. P. Moller-Maersk ETEC
AGA Gas AB, a member of the Linde Group Euromaster Denmark A/S
AkzoNobel Frito-Lay
Many of the foundational values of Marriott are embodied within The 4 Disciplines of
Execution. By utilizing this process inside our organization, our leaders and teams have been
able to set and achieve extraordinary goals, which have had a significant impact on making
Our Guests Experience truly remarkable. Any organization can create these same kinds of
breakthrough results if they apply the principles and processes taught in this book!
J. W. Marriott, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc.
Customers are loyal to a brand when they can trust it to deliver a consistently outstanding
experience. This requires the commitment of everyone up and down the organization to
innovate new ways to economically delight customers so they become promoters. The 4
Disciplines of Execution offers a proven process for engaging the hearts and minds of every
employee toward this vital goal. I highly recommend this book to any leader committed to
making customer loyalty a mission-critical goal.
Fred Reichheld, Bain Fellow, inventor of the Net Promoter System, and author of The
Ultimate Question 2.0.
In a business world where the essence of leadership centers around strategy, this book
highlights the true requirements of any organization to focus on the principles of execution.
At The Ritz-Carlton, I believe the only way to strengthen operational excellence is through
flawless execution. The application of Focus, Leverage, Engagement, and Accountability,
as discussed in The 4 Disciplines of Execution, are key to our success and make exceptional
reading for todays business leaders.
Herve Humler, President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution contains principles and processes that do indeed work. I do
believe that execution excellence is the ultimate competitive differential of this decade.
As we have partnered with FranklinCovey to apply the methodology and process globally
throughout our organization, it has not only had a significant impact on our organizations
business results, it has been transformational for me as a leader, both personally and
professionally.
Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco Animal Health, Eli Lilly and Company.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers more than theories for making strategic organizational
change. The authors explain not only the what but also how effective execution is
achieved. They share numerous examples of companies that have done just that, not once,
but over and over again. This is a book that every leader should read!
Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School, and author of The Innovators
Dilemma.
Marriott was founded on the philosophy Take care of your employees and theyll take care
of your customers. Through the principles of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, weve been
able to give our people a powerful tool for staying focused on what is most important to
us: Our Guests Experience. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to create
breakthrough results!
David Grissen, President, The Americas, Marriott International, Inc.
The State of Georgia had unprecedented success as a result of implementing the principles
outlined in The 4 Disciplines of Execution. We certified hundreds of leaders to take the
disciplines to every department, achieving unprecedented results in customer service,
quality improvement, and cost reduction. These execution principles are a must for any
government agency that is seeking to be world-class.
The Honorable Sonny Perdue, Governor of Georgia, 20032011.
You dont have a strategy problem, you have an execution problem! The 4 Disciplines of
Execution tells you everything you need to know to make your Wildly Important Goals a
reality. This simple, effective model is easy to understand, easy to apply, and delivers results.
Ive used it in my personal life, with my family, and in my organization. It works!
Richard Stocking, President and Chief Operating Officer, Swift Transportation.
Ive seen many great initiatives fail because of the inability to make the transition from
strategy to execution. The authors here have developed a real-world, practical guide for
navigating through the obstacles to success. While reading this book, I thought over and
over again to myself, I wish I would have had this resource ten years ago.
Terry D. Scott, 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, April 2002July 2006, Retired.
Few things in business are harder than finding the handful of simple actions that every
employee can take to help the company achieve its most important objectives. The 4
Disciplines provide a simple, common-sense way to help achieve real results.
Rob Markey, Partner, Bain & Company, and coauthor of The Ultimate Question 2.0.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution methodology and process, contained in this book, have
been extremely helpful to our organization. It has allowed us to align and cascade our
Wildly Important Goals throughout our teams, which has resulted in an increase in employee
engagement and improved client service and project delivery. As we continue to invest in
our employees, this process remains critical to achieving our overall corporate goals.
Andrew Frawley, President, Epsilon
Genius and simplicity describe The 4 Disciplines of Execution. If you want to succeed with
your strategic plan, utilizing this process and methodology will pay dividends. Focusing
ones efforts on lead measures will result in success. And, the process of continual, quick
accountability checkups encourages excellence.
Walter Levy, Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer, NCH Corporation
Well done! Disciplined leveraging of this work will profoundly help raise the standard of
executional excellence in any and all organizations.
Douglas R. Conant, Chief Executive Officer, retired, Campbell Soup Company, and New
York Times best-selling author.
Ive practiced and embraced the principles and process found in this book for many years
and can attest this is a great framework to help organizations achieve their strategic goals.
Roger Morgan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Retail Products Group.
Each person comes to this world packed with unlimited capacity. He can accomplish
wonders. There is nothing in life more exhilarating than to achieve something important to
him and to achieve it with excellence. In The 4 Disciplines of Execution, the authors have
captured the principles and procedures that are key to human achievement.
Mohammed Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 2006.
Having spent years working with organizations whose goal was to achieve greatness, I
highly recommend reading The 4 Disciplines of Execution! It is truly a how-to manual for
teams committed to achieving their wildest dreams and a must-read for leaders who have
chosen to achieve greatness!
Ann Rhoades, President, People Ink; former Executive Vice President, JetBlue; former
Chief People Officer, Southwest Airlines; and author of Built on Values.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers not only a clear description of the critical relationship
of execution to viable strategy, but also specific recommendations for increasing the
likelihood of success. The approaches recommended will ensure focus, line-of-sight from
tasks to goals, and the production of simple dashboards to give vital and timely feedback.
As important as these, however, are the authors granular examples, suggestions, and
prescriptions.
Joel Peterson, Chairman, JetBlue Airways; Robert L. Joss Consulting Professor of
Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business; founding Partner, Peterson Partners.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution has a powerful way of inviting every frontline employee to
commit to and then execute on the highest priority goals of their agency. As a leader in the
public sector, I found myself revisiting these principles over and over again at a time when
resources were dwindling, while the need for human services was rising.
B. J. Walker, former Commissioner, Department of Human Services, State of Georgia.
Keeping the eyes on execution is the single most important task for a leader. This book
provides great guidance for leaders who want to stay focused on their most important goals.
It is a practical guide to creating a cadence of accountability throughout their organizations.
The book is as relevant in Europe as in the rest of the world, a great read, and a great
method to achieve strong results over time.
Sanna Rydberg, Head of Healthcare, sub-Region Europe North, AGA Gas AB, a member
of the Linde Group.
The best way to prove the validity and effectiveness of any business concept or
methodology is to apply it to real situations and observe the results obtained. At Bladex,
we have had the opportunity to apply the principles proposed by The 4 Disciplines of
Execution as a means to successfully achieve the strategic objectives of the organization.
Our experience leads us to affirm that, with consistency, once the degree of maturity in the
application of these principles is attained, the desired objectives are gratifyingly achieved
and justify the efforts required in the adoption process. The key lies in the discipline of the
process.
Miguel Moreno, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Bladex, Foreign
Trade Bank of Latin America, Inc.
After approximately seven months working with The 4 Disciplines of Execution, we have
seen the following improvements in my area; a cost savings from 5.9 percent to 26.1 percent
and an improved bottom line from 3.7 percent to 43.3 percent. But most important, a
quantum increase in employee engagement and trust.
Per Birkemose, Regional Manager, Euromaster Denmark.
All leaders must read The 4 Disciplines of Execution to help them consistently achieve
breakthrough results. The 4D execution process is a true competitive advantage in present
global markets and fast-paced business environments.
Giulio M. Zafferri, Associated Senior Management Consultant, Cegos Italia S.p.A.
Beyond theories, The 4 Disciplines of Execution process is a truly useful guide on strategy
execution. It has kept our organization focused on what really matters to achieve the
objectives. This book is a great instrument for our business leaders to avoid the most
common pitfalls in the execution of our strategy, based on our multiple business areas across
the world.
Dr. Pietro Lori, President, Georg Fischer Piping Systems
Over the last 20 years in charge of operations, I have made it a priority for associates and
supervisors to execute our core operational routines. With The 4 Disciplines of Execution, we
have been very effective in institutionalizing the adoption of these routines and have gained
a common visibility around our Wildly Important Goals. These three goals have been shared
with every associate from the 212 Supercenter stores located across Mexico. This effort has
increased satisfaction and teamwork, resulting in an improvement in the quality of the work
life of our associates.
Guadalupe Morales, Vice President of Operations, Walmart Supercenters, Mexico and
Central America.
Since the books original publication, the 7 Habits have changed not only the way people around
the world think about personal achievement and influence, but also the way they act on these
thoughts.
With pointed anecdotes and penetrating insights, Stephen R. Covey reveals how our actions follow
from who we are. He shows how we can end self-defeating behavior at home, and at work by
adopting The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey shows how the 7 Habits are not a quick
fix, but rather a timeless step by step pathway to the principles of fairness, integrity, service, and
human dignity that give us the security to adapt to change in our family and business livesas well
as the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities such change creates.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is one of the great classics of its time. It has become an
international phenomenon. Stephen R. Covey and the book will forever be remembered for re-
imagining these time-honored principles and bringing them to the world anew.
Accessing the higher levels of human genius and motivation in todays new reality requires a sea
change in thinking: a new mindset, a new skillset, a new toolsetin short a whole new habit. The
crucial challenge of our world today is this: to find our voice and inspire others to find theirs. It is
what Covey calls the 8th habit.
Traditional time management suggests that working harder, smarter, and faster will help you gain
control over your life, and that increased control will bring peace and fulfillment. The authors of
First Things First disagree. In the first real breakthrough in time management in years, Stephen
R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill apply the insights of The 7 Habits of Highly
Effective People to the daily problems of people who must struggle with the ever-increasing
demands of work and home life. Rather than focusing on time and things, First Things First
emphasizes relationships and results. And instead of efficiency, this new approach emphasizes
effectiveness.
First Things First offers a principle-centered approach that will transform the quality of
everything you do by showing how it involves the need to live, to love, to learn and to leave
a legacy. With the wisdom and insight that made The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People a #1
best-seller, First Things First empowers readers to define what is truly important, to accomplish
worthwhile goals, and to lead rich, rewarding, and balanced lives.
Principle-Centered Leadership
Ineffective people try to manage their time around priorities, says Stephen R. Covey, whereas
effective people lead their lives and manage their relationships according to principlesnatural
laws and governing values that are universally valid. Leadership is the ability to apply these
principles to problems, resulting in quality, productivity, profitability, and win-win relationships.
Covey invites readers to center their lives and leadership around timeless principles. He shows
how no person or organization can be content to stay where they arehow the goals of
excellence and total quality express an innate human need for progress in personal, interpersonal
and organizational life.
Drawing on 25 years of teaching and consulting, Covey writes about the key to managing
expectations, the six conditions of effectiveness, and the patterns of organizational excellence.
He explains how nothing fails like success, how to understand peoples potential rather than
just their behavior, and how to manage from the left, lead from the right. With the integrity,
sensitivity, and insights that made The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People a nationwide
best-seller, Principle-Centered Leadership demonstrates how lifelong learning can empower
relationships at work and at home.
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copies in 22 languages, Stephen M. R. Covey again illuminates the hidden power
Smart Trust is without doubt one of the most
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style, he and longtime business partner, Greg Link, share enlightening principles and anecdotes
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Stephen M. R. Covey
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and compete in this perilous 21st-century interdependent,
with Rebecca R. Merrill
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Venus traditional either/or thinking to extend Smart Trust,
enabling you to exercise sound judgment in a low-trust world
shows what they are doing and the five actions they are commonly taking to prosper, against the
ective by minimizing risk and maximizing possibilities.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF Smart Trust has met the strict scrutiny of business
Greg Link
organizations outperform low-trust organizations by
nearly three times. Smart Trust shares findings that
They show why trust is fast becoming the most consequential life and leadership skill of our
timea career-critical competency required to navigate and compete in this perilous 21st-
century interdependent, global economy. Covey and Link teach how to cut through traditional
either/or thinking to extend Smart Trust, enabling you to exercise sound judgment in a low-
trust world by minimizing risk and maximizing possibilities.
Smart Trust has met the strict scrutiny of business leaders around the globe and is validated by
research from multiple sources that confirms that high-trust organizations outperform low-trust
organizations by nearly three times.
In this powerful book, Stephen M. R. Covey articulates why trust has become the key leadership
competency of the new global economy. Covey convincingly makes the case that trust is a
measurable accelerator to performance and that when trust goes up, speed also goes up while cost
comes down, producing what Covey calls a Trust Dividend.
Covey reveals the 13 Behaviors common to high-trust leaders throughout the world and
persuasively demonstrates actionable insights that will enable you to shift your behavior to
increaseand inspiretrust in the important relationships in your life.
Parents around the world see the change and know that the traditional three Rsreading,
writing, and arithmeticare necessary but not enough. Their children need to become far more
responsible, creative, and tolerant of differences. They need to increase their ability to think for
themselves, take initiative, get along with others, and solve problems.
Business leaders are not finding people whose skills and character match the demands of todays
global economy, including strong communication, teamwork, and analytical, technological, and
organizational skills. They need young people who are self-motivated, creative, and have a strong
work ethic.
How will we bridge this ever-widening gap? The Leader in Me is the story of the extraordinary
schools, parents, and business leaders around the world who are preparing the next generation to
meet the great challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
The best way to prepare the next generation for the future is to emphasize the value of
communication, cooperation, initiative, and unique, individual talentfor nothing undermines
confidence more than comparison. Whether in the classroom or at home, it is never too early to
start applying leadership skills to everyday life. Drawing on the many techniques and examples
that have already seen incredible success around the world, The Leader in Me shows how easy it
is to incorporate these skills into daily life. It is a timely answer to many of the challenges facing
todays young people, businesses, parents, and educatorsone that is perfectly matched to the
global demands of the 21st century.