EXECUTIVE STRATEGY by Timothy C Daughtry,PH.D and Gary R. Casselman, PH.D

Title; Executive Strategy

Author; Timothy C Daughtry, PH.D. Gary Casselman, PH.D

ISBN; 978-1-933102-75-7

Pagination; 225

Published By; Capital Books Inc., Year 2009

Review by; Iroabuchi Onwuka, S

Theme

The book centers on a management question, on how strategy in any company begins? The author tries to show that it begins with a company's necessity to size up a field of bad performance. What does that mean? it means that a company can identify a kind of failure in its operational environment and then proceed with a case study to identify the cause of the failure. The company will go the distance in thoroughly coming to grips with the problem through board meetings, research meetings among other things which usually lead to a plan. And from that plan a new plan is likely to emerge. However simple, or technical the plan is, the failure and success of the whole business lies with the execution of the strategy and not necessarily the eloquence of the plan.

The advent of work problems of 2008 means that sooner or later the issue would have to be dealt with. In this book, the authors were motivated to illustrate the reasons why business management can sometimes be problem to itself and therefore reason exist on how you can remedy the situation. Research in 2003 cited by Kaplan and Norton indicated that CEO failure is due mainly to the execution and not necessarily 'flawed strategy'. The Book tries to mention that out of 100% well developed plans only 10% were actually carried out. For this, the attempt to use their investigatives study from the cases of failed companies and CEOs and explain away the reason why it was the case.

Body

Dr.Casselman and Dr. Daughtry are convinced that failure in any business is due to matters arising from poor execution of strategy than the fact of planning. The blue print discovered over the years while employed at 'Tyco Electronics' 'RFMD INC.' 'Bush Brothers and Company' 'Gap INC.,' 'Henredon Furniture Industries' 'RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company' 'South Carolina Bank and Trust' 'Checkers Corporation' and 'Volvo Cars of North America' and are currently presiding over the CCG Inc., a leadership and organization development.

In this book the authors try to share their experience in approaching the problem of the company upside down in exchange of barten, a process not too far from the rely races, a process that draw out the combating role within the rabks of transition and a process that is not relay races. The author is quick to remind us that "there is a critical difference between the baton in a relay race and the baton of strategy. With each pass of the strategic baton, strategy has to be tranlsated into the language and actions appropriate to each level in the organization.

Senior management man take a strategic decision that "providing the lowest prices in our marekts" is the organization's best hope of sucees. This decision to compete primarily on price has to be translated into functional plans and priorities at the middle-management level".

What seem the more important aspect of Relay races is not the man, the first runner out of the four that started the races is as important as the man that finished the races. Yet the main function of the 'Finish' in the relay races is to cover up the lapses from previous runners and this is where the issue of leadership is fully displayed. It is not the head start that means everythig rather the one to finish it. Whether or not we agree with the loosing strategy, we can credit the book on one account that attention must be paid to what happens to these folks within the ranks as much the attention is lavished on the first and when that position finally make it to the end of the rope, that attention determines the degree of necessity and degree of function. Yet function on the many departments of management is the leading light especially in terms of pay as a way to encourage the workers on tail end and non management category.

Executive Strategy allows us to undertstand that every business has its own attitude and its own learning curve. The book offers us a view into what happens when anyone decides to open for buisness. The competeive environment give way to dynamic leadership and that leadeship often the case of failed businesses is always due to lack of relevant attention to serious aspects of the business management. The big picture is usually the first man/the big man but the final picture which shed light on the whole group and product is the one at the end/the bottom one.

In most cases of business failure, it is always the business that failed to pay the necessary attention to right people and right department that go the distance of failing as the time of competition. Such case is mainly the case when business shift from local to international scene. Success, the book is intent of saying, does not always take our highest intellectual ability but well practiced dynamic routines.

Executive Strategy illustrated the four basic parts of management and leadership in the following way (1) Directional leadership (2) Inter-Personal leadership (3) Implementional (4) Implementional leadership.

1, Directional leadership - by directional leadership the authors of the book refered to 'strategy' 'corporate philsophy' 'Big picture' and figuratively refering to the heads of the organization/the boss and the over arching presence of the heads.

2, Inter-personal leadership - by interpersonal leadership they suggested 'team member' 'coaching' 'mentor' 'modeling' and figuratively the counselors, the ones to guage the rate of performance, the go betweens/middle managers, translators of corporate ideas, co-Bosses, the Boss's men and women and enhance competitiveness.

3, Personal leadership - by personal leadership those who are the face of the industry, who are the 'role models' and their job include representing the industry and company, and they are supposed to be trusthworthy, self confident and ability to know the better way to execute the wish of a company with the company and this according to the authors "describes the ability to understand...and manage onces ego. In particular it involves management of stress and emotional reaction. Ethics/Intergrity.

4, Implementational leadership - by implementational leadership they mean the people who handle 'big projects' the 'Tangible' construction, the review and the follow up more like the finish version of the business, the technocrats. This comprises skills needed to influence others both in the company and outside. It involves ability to implement the plans and tasks set aside.

Executive Strategy allows us to understand that this is the current market dynamic in the world and in American business, this is the currency of management levels. The range of management is from top to bottom and it refers to the years that America was readying to launch itself in the world following the era of reconstruction. The bosses were very useful in discharging the very particulars of business and the ranks of that department and success was top and bottom. Timothy C Daughter and Gary Casselman try to demonstrate that this picture has now changed and that the picture is wrong incurrnt market circumstances, that the technical parts of world markets and its demand has no made more room for techinically adept partners and specialist. The authors of Executive Strategy goes on to say that the mistake had been there for a long time, that the more important of these groups is the implementational as with sprinters to a finsih lane, the 'finish' upon whom the success and failure of the business or product is entirelty due.

If the book Executive Strategy tried to argue that the 'four dimensional leadership' presented above is inversely related to the four management style of the order Top management, Middle management, Frontline management, non-management.Yet it goes that extra mile in explicating why these management positions are also leadership positions and why they matter. How each level of management is expected to handle a six performance huddle; expections, commitment, skill, confidence, personality and motivation, organization. The authors indicated that the last group of leadership;implementational leadership, is of greater importance in a company's success, since this group more than embody all the six dimensions of the management presented above.

From the case above in reverse relationship of classic cadre of leadership versus managment, apoint gradually appears that what is considered relationship between management success and responsible leadership exist in disappearing order, to such degree that as management assume the face of leadership it is understood as upside down of management. Leadership gradually yield ground to Management. The reverse case of management can best be suited in dealing with the six important aspect of succesful business as such much more important than the intellectual statusquo.