It's Not Rocket Science
4 Simple Strategies for Mastering the Art of Execution

It's Not Rocket Science blasts through the trends and false promises permeating the business world to help you and your company get back to basics and get things done. Why doggedly pursue the "next big thing" when the most effective drivers of growth are right under your nose? This book asserts that you've already heard, been taught, and know well the key fundamentals that spell business success, and presents a compelling, four strategy blueprint for returning your business culture and strategies to a rock solid foundation of execution excellence. Each chapter opens with The Challenge, which outlines a current condition that exists due to a departure from common sense behaviors, and tasks you with following the appropriate execution principles to get your business on the right track. After a thorough explanation of "what" and "why," each chapter gives you the actionable "how" so you can implement these valuable steps and master the art of execution in your organization.

Shifting sands do not make for a sustainable structure. If your organization is to be robust and strong enough to weather any storm, the strength must come from the very core; the ability for each member of your team to execute daily and effectively towards your organization's most compelling goals. Frankly, the last things most organizations need is another goal they'll miss because they can't execute well. This book reminds you of the four timeless execution methods and strategies that have proven themselves over centuries, and shows you how they are implemented in today's business environment.

• Get the leaders right
• Get the culture right
• Get the people right
• Get the process right

Today's flash in the pan may be superficially intriguing, but is it really that much different from yesterday's "hot tip"? Fundamentals are fundamental for a reason, and It's Not Rocket Science is the common sense guide to putting away flavor-of-the-month toys and getting down to business.

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Introduction xvii

Part One : Get The Process Right! 1

Chapter One : Why Your Team Cannot Execute and How to Fix It 3

Chapter Two : Make Each Day a Masterpiece 7

Chapter Three : Get TUF! 11

Chapter Four : The Fray Gets in the Way! 15

Chapter Five : MAX It! 19

Chapter Six : The Power of a Personal Success Profile (PSP) 25

Chapter Seven : MAP It! 29

Chapter Eight : RAM It! 35

Chapter Nine : Prune It! 39

Chapter Ten : Don’t Mistake Motion for Progress! 43

Part One Summary 49

Part Two : Get The Leaders Right! 51

Chapter Eleven : Do You Overmanage and Underlead? 53

Chapter Twelve : Stretching, Trenches, and Changing 57

Chapter Thirteen : You Are the Catalyst! 61

Chapter Fourteen : Buy-in Is Earned, Not Commanded! 65

Chapter Fifteen: Get Your Red Belt On! 71

Chapter Sixteen : The Truth about Mediocrity 75

Chapter Seventeen: Beware the Five Seductions of Leadership 79

Chapter Eighteen : Five Ways Conventional Wisdom Destroys Your Potential 85

Chapter Nineteen : The Power of Preparation 93

Chapter Twenty : A Blueprint for Making the Tough Calls 97

Chapter Twenty-One : Four Ways to Measure Your Leadership 103

Part Two : Summary 111

Part Three : Get The Culture Right! 113

Chapter Twenty-Two : Remember—It’s the Culture, Stupid! 115

Chapter Twenty-Three : The Core Value Pillar 119

Chapter Twenty-Four : The Mission Pillar 123

Chapter Twenty-Five : The Performance Standard Pillar 127

Chapter Twenty-Six : Establish Your Business Facts of Life 131

Chapter Twenty-Seven :The Core Competency Pillar 137

Chapter Twenty-Eight : The People Pillar 141

Chapter Twenty-Nine : The Earn and Deserve Culture 145

Chapter Thirty : The Ideal Cultural Portrait—Consistent In, Mediocre Out 149

Chapter Thirty-One : Weave in Catalyst, Responsible, and Lead 157

Chapter Thirty-Two : Entitled Out, Tough-Minded In 161

Chapter Thirty-Three : Sloth Out, Loyal In 165

Part Three : Summary 171

Part Four : Get The Team Right! 173

Chapter Thirty-Four : How to Find the Great People You’re Looking For! 175

Chapter Thirty-Five : Like is Never Enough! 179

Chapter Thirty-Six : You Can’t Make People What They Are Not! 183

Chapter Thirty-Seven : Ten Tips to Retain Talent 187

Chapter Thirty-Eight : Fix the Roof While the Sun Is Shining! 191

Chapter Thirty-Nine : Six Ways to Increase Employee Engagement 195

Chapter Forty : The Staggering Cost of Poor Performance 199

Part Four Summary 205

About the Author 207

Glossary of Master the Art of Execution Terms 209

References 211

Index 215

DAVE ANDERSON is President of LearnToLead, an international leadership training and consulting company. Dave has given thousands of leadership presentations worldwide based on his personal experience building and running successful organizations. Dave is author of 13 books including Up Your Business, If You Don’t Make Waves You’ll Drown, How to Run Your Business by THE BOOK, and How to Lead by THE BOOK. He is cofounder and chairman of Matthew 25:35 Foundation. Follow Dave on Twitter @DaveAnderson100.