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Bought a book about strategic management at a bookstore in San Diego this weekend, because I’m a nerd. The book is called The Carrot Principle and I think most CEOs would use this book, and a $20 bill, to light their next bonfire. It mostly talks about recognition and engagement. As we all know, those are tough concepts to track — and because “what’s measured is what matters” is what drives the thinking of most senior leaders, well, these topics die in the flood. That’s why 6 in 10 senior leaders claim they “don’t have the time” to respect their employees, as if “respect” is something one schedules in Google Mail.
Near the beginning of this book, as the authors are laying out their research and concepts, they talk about four pillars of strategic management. In essence, these are the four things you need to do in order to be a good boss. This is backed up by literally decades upon decades of research. Ready? Drum roll.
The strategic management pillars:
- Goal-Setting
- Communication
- Trust
- Accountability
Seems logical, right? Let’s take a ferry ride through them quickly.
