The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals

by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling

Overview

Do you remember the last major initiative you watched die in your organization? Did it go down with a loud crash? Or was it slowly and quietly suffocated by other competing priorities?

By the time it finally disappeared, it’s likely no one even noticed.

What happened? The “whirlwind” of urgent activity required to keep things running day-to-day devoured all the time and energy you needed to invest in executing your strategy for tomorrow! The 4 Disciplines of Execution can change all that forever.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) is a simple, repeatable, and proven formula for executing on your most important strategic priorities in the midst of the whirlwind. By following The 4 Disciplines:

• Focusing on the Wildly Important

• Acting on Lead Measures

• Keeping a Compelling Scoreboard

• Creating a Cadence of Accountability

leaders can produce breakthrough results, even when executing the strategy requires a significant change in behavior from their teams.

4DX is not theory. It is a proven set of practices that have been tested and refined by hundreds of organizations and thousands of teams over many years. When a company or an individual adheres to these disciplines, they achieve superb results—regardless of the goal. 4DX represents a new way of thinking and working that is essential to thriving in today’s competitive climate. Simply put, this is one book that no business leader can afford to miss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781451627077
Publisher:	Free Press
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for FranklinCovey and oversees FranklinCovey’s 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.

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 FranklinCovey’s 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.

Jim Huling is the Managing Consultant for FranklinCovey’s The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Jim’s 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.
Sean Covey is Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships for FranklinCovey and has led the development of most of FranklinCovey’s organizational offerings, including: Focus, Leadership, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, The Leader in Me, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Sean oversees all of Franklin Covey’s International partnerships which cover over 140 countries.

Sean is also FranklinCovey’s Education Practice Leader and is devoted to transforming education around the globe through bringing leadership principles and skills to as many kids, educators, and schools as possible.

He is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books, including The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, The 4 Disciplines of Execution, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into 20 languages and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. He is a seasoned speaker to kids, teens, and adults and has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows.

Sean graduated with honors from BYU with a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned his MBA 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, Sean’s favorite activities include going to movies, working out, hanging out with his kids, riding his dirt bike, and writing poor poetry.  Sean and his wife Rebecca live with their children in the Rocky Mountains. For more information on Sean, visit SeanCovey.com. Follow Sean on Twitter @Sean_Covey.
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 FranklinCovey’s 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.
Jim Huling is the Managing Consultant for FranklinCovey’s The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Jim’s 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.

What People are Saying About This

Bain Fellow, Inventor of the Net Promoter® System and author of: The Ultimate Question 2.0 - Fred Reichheld

“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.”

President, Elanco Animal Health, Eli Lilly and Company - Jeff Simmons

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution book 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 organization’s business results, but it has been transformational for me as a leader, both personally and professionally.”

President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company - Herve Humler

“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 today's business leaders.”

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Kroger Co. - Dave Dillon

“The 4 Disciplines’ practical guidance on goal-setting and measurement resonates with groups of all levels in our organization. Many teams have applied this intuitive approach to build engagement and increase execution and accountability.”

Co-Author of the Best Selling Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done and the author of What the CEO Wants You - Ram Charan

“What Six Sigma and Lean are to manufacturing, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is to executing your strategy. 4DX is a practical methodology that can solve every leader’s #1 challenge: execution.”

Governor of Georgia, 2003-2011 - Sonny Perdue

“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.”

From the Publisher

“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 Innovator’s Dilemma

Chief Executive Officer, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., #1 on Fortune magazine's 2005 list of the “100 Best Companie - Danny Wegman

“We believe that The 4 Disciplines of Execution are the keys to growth and success. For years we have struggled with creating focus for our people. We have used priority sheets, standards of performance measures, and others. We have fallen in love with the concepts of “whirlwinds and WIG!” When you read this book you will never look at work, or life, the same!”

US Vice President of Training and Learning Development, Hamburger University, McDonalds Corporation - Diana Thomas

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution helps leaders, teams, and front line employees to narrow their focus and spend their time executing those things that will bring the highest return for their organization and customers. This book is a must read for any leader who wants to achieve that which is extraordinary in their company!”

Editorial Reviews

What Six Sigma and Lean are to manufacturing, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is to executing your strategy. 4DX is a practical methodology that can solve every leader’s #1 challenge: execution.

Co-Author of the Best Selling Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done and the author of What the CEO Wants You - Ram Charan

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!

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc. - J.W. Marriott

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.

Governor of Georgia, 2003-2011 - Sonny Perdue

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.

Bain Fellow, Inventor of the Net Promoter® System and author of: The Ultimate Question 2.0 - Fred Reichheld

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 today's business leaders.

President and Chief Operations Officer, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company - Herve Humler

The 4 Disciplines of Execution book 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 organization’s business results, but it has been transformational for me as a leader, both personally and professionally.

President, Elanco Animal Health, Eli Lilly and Company - Jeff Simmons

We believe that The 4 Disciplines of Execution are the keys to growth and success. For years we have struggled with creating focus for our people. We have used priority sheets, standards of performance measures, and others. We have fallen in love with the concepts of “whirlwinds and WIG!” When you read this book you will never look at work, or life, the same!

Chief Executive Officer, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., #1 on Fortune magazine’s 2005 list - Danny Wegman

The 4 Disciplines’ practical guidance on goal-setting and measurement resonates with groups of all levels in our organization. Many teams have applied this intuitive approach to build engagement and increase execution and accountability.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Kroger Co. - Dave Dillon

“The 4 Disciplines of Execution helps leaders, teams, and front line employees to narrow their focus and spend their time executing those things that will bring the highest return for their organization and customers. This book is a must read for any leader who wants to achieve that which is extraordinary in their company!

US Vice President of Training and Learning Development, Hamburger University, McDonalds Corporation - Diana Thomas

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.

Governor of Georgia, 2003-2011 - The Honorable Sonny Perdue

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 Innovator’s Dilemma

From the Publisher