High-Performing Executives Plan for Strategy Execution Success.
“Sixty-one percent of corporate strategists say poor strategy execution is the primary reason that new growth initiatives fail,” says Marc Kelly, VP at Gartner. “It’s more of a problem than the strategy itself or the funding of that strategy, and it stems from a range of issues.” Gartner has also found that more than half of organizations fail to execute strategy effectively. The good news is: it’s something leaders can get ahead of.
Improve Strategy Execution
Before a major initiative begins, executives can give execution a stronger start by confirming a few essentials:
- Unified support. When leaders speak with one voice, teams move with confidence.
- Realistic funding. A budget that covers delivery and contingency keeps momentum intact.
- Clear priorities. People need to know how this effort stacks up against everything else on their plate.
- Solid structure. Clear roles, strong governance, and a reliable delivery model turn execution into something predictable, repeatable, and scalable.
- Empowered leadership. A program manager with authority turns direction into coordinated action.
These aren’t project tasks. They are leadership calls that set the stage for execution. Get them in place early, and strategy moves forward with speed and clarity.
A Practical Tool For Success
We’ve distilled these essential points into a short Executive Leader’s Execution Checklist. It’s designed to help you confirm readiness before the first milestone and give execution the leg up it needs.
The Executive Leader’s Execution Checklist is more than a project aid, it’s how we hold ourselves accountable as executive leaders. Each question highlights levers only executives can pull:
- Alignment
- Funding
- Prioritization
- Empowerment
- Communication
When those levers are set right, strategy turns into results. When they’re not, even the best program managers will struggle to deliver. Use the Executive Leader’s Execution Checklist to show that your leadership team is providing the clarity, resources, and decisions needed to execute at the pace your strategy demands.
Execution Red Flags
Effective leaders avoid disaster by watching for early warning signs. The Executive Leader’s Execution Checklist highlights 12 areas that can signal dangerous flaws in execution handoff and gives you the chance to reset before they become problems.
- Mixed signals from the top create hesitation below. Visible alignment removes doubt and accelerates execution.
- Underfunding is one of the fastest ways to derail execution. A realistic budget with contingency avoids stalls midstream.
- Without agreed guardrails, daily decisions drift. Guiding principles keep teams focused without requiring constant escalation.
- Even one dissenting voice at the top can fracture alignment. Shared commitment builds organizational confidence.
- Competing priorities sink execution. Clear ranking ensures resources flow to what matters most.
- A program manager without authority is set up to fail. Empowerment ensures leadership intent translates to action.
- Inconsistent communication erodes trust. Coordinated messaging keeps the organization aligned and confident.
- Hidden conflicts cause slowdowns later. Surfacing and resolving them early keeps momentum intact.
- External timing factors: customer commitments or regulatory deadlines can’t be shifted. Acknowledging them early avoids backpedaling later.
- Technical debt ignored at the start often resurfaces as costly delays. Tackling it upfront protects delivery.
- Execution fails when people are spread too thin. Removing staffing barriers signals leadership’s commitment to success.
- Without clear governance, defined roles, and a reliable delivery model, execution depends on individual effort and luck. The right execution structure gives teams consistency, provides leaders with transparency, and reassures shareholders that strategy will be delivered.
If you’re questioning whether your organization has the execution muscle it needs, it may be time for a deeper look. Arrange a session with one of Metagyre’s execution experts to see where your team stands and what it will take to get strategy moving.
