Leadership is often judged by fine visions and strategies. Bold films, bold goals and flying speeches.
But the truth is that no vision will move a metre forward if the implementation capacity leaks. It's like buying a gym membership and just opening the locker room door. There seems to be action, but no results.
Action, especially in the management team, is where words turn - or fail to turn - into action.
So what is executive capacity?
The executive functions of the individual (good content on their development can be found, especially in the literature on child education):
- Working memory & workload
- Self-regulation
- Flexibility
- Planning & organisational skills
- Focus
- Problem-solving & decision-making skills
Components of the group's executive capacity (among others):
- Psychological safety
- Common direction / shared inspirational purpose
- A permissive and inspiring culture
- Rules of the game and processes (monitoring!)
- Roles and responsibilities (including delegation)
In addition, both individuals and groups need to take care of their own energy levels - adequate rest, recovery, good food, exercise...
After all, all that is needed for effective management team work is to put these in order.
But you don't have to do it alone. The breath-taking list above is a description of a perfect world, and if you have achieved it, congratulations! But if you feel there's an area that needs improvement, it's worth asking for help. Making change happen requires an organisation to work together towards a common goal, a shared willingness to make the effort, and the ability to deal with problems when they arise.
At MTTC, we support our clients in strengthening their executive capacity at management, leadership and employee levels by bringing energy, systematicity, enthusiasm, resilience and new ways of thinking into people's daily lives.
