Execution

Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan argue that the real job of running a business is execution, not drafting a vision and leaving others to carry it out. They define execution as a discipline that links strategy, operations and people, the three core processes of any business. Bossidy draws on a long career at General Electric and on his transformation of AlliedSignal, where earnings per share grew by 13 percent or more for 31 straight quarters. The authors stress deep engagement and candid debate grounded in realism, and treat selecting and appraising people as the leader's most important task, one never to be delegated. Chief Executive magazine chose Bossidy as its 1998 CEO of the year.

Faisal Amin, co-founder of Fruitbowl Digital, said it deals with decentralization and with giving up control to get things done, a lesson most startups fail to grasp in Amin's view.