Strategic Acceleration: Succeed at the Speed of Life
Bestselling Author and Coach to world’s Top CEOs, Tony Jeary, Offers Methodology To Not Just Succeed – But Create Superior Results Faster In Today’s Uncertain and Fast-paced World
In today’s world, the only thing that is certain is uncertainty. Massive layoffs around the country – not only in the housing, financial and investment worlds but potentially in other industries representing the backbone of the U.S. economy – have brought the unemployment rate to 6.5 percent, the highest it has been since March 1994. The American stock market has been spiraling out of control, taking the global financial markets with it. At the same time, the speed of life is adding to the list of things you know little or nothing about and there is more information out there than anyone can possibly process. The traditional strategic question used to be, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” Now you’re more likely to hear, “Where do you want to be next week?”
The speed of life has not changed the basic fundamentals of being successful but it has reduced the amount of time to do what you need to do – and possibly the amount of people needed to do it. Planning often needs to be done on the fly; sometimes business leaders face circumstances that demand almost simultaneous planning and execution. Tony Jeary’s new book, STRATEGIC ACCELERATION: SUCCEED AT THE SPEED OF LIFE (Vanguard Press, March 2009), presents a methodology to keep those who want to win from getting sidetracked, and help them stay focused and on message to efficiently execute relevant, high-leverage activities that create superior results – faster. The methodology is driven and supported by the premise that if you go as far as you can see, then you can see farther.
But Jeary also contends that unless you’re willing to change, you won’t, and this willingness plays a huge role in your ability to succeed. A bestselling author, strategic facilitator and business coach, Jeary is a leading expert on how to embrace change in the workplace and marketplace. He is the author of several books on communication effectiveness and business strategy and has spent more than 20 years helping businesses accelerate, personally coaching CEOs from the world’s largest companies including Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, QualComm, Samsung, New York Life, Firestone and many others.
Jeary argues that in today’s global business climate, growth and success are determined by first, the need for speed, and second, the need for results. Speed is the strategic engine needed to compete and win in a rapidly changing marketplace. Results determine the ability of leadership to execute and sustain a vision in the marketplace. According to Jeary there are three enemies of speed and results:
- Enemy #1: the absence of clarity which drains organizational energy.
- Enemy #2: a lack of focus which produces a culture of indecisiveness and excessive preparation.
- Enemy #3: poor execution which degrades effectiveness limits results and restricts growth.
Jeary believes that these enemies of speed and results can be overcome by shifting your thinking from problems to solutions and using “a simple, strategic thought process that will transform the way you think, live, and work.” People will achieve success while keeping up with the speed of life by specifically addressing these three basic components of STRATEGIC ACCELERATION:
- Clarity: Understand your targets and the reasons behind them. “An authentic vision motivates, provides the power to change your behavior, and sets benchmarks for success.”
- Focus: Concentrate on what truly matters. “Success pivots on having the ability to concentrate on doing things that really matter and filtering out what doesn’t.”
- Execution: This becomes possible when clarity is achieved and new skills, now second nature, can be applied effectively.
[Tony]Jeary began developing the STRATEGIC ACCELERATION methodology after making and losing several million dollars as a young entrepreneur, when he became obsessed with studying the traits and distinctions of high achievers and organizations. He discovered that the fundamental characteristic of great performers is their mastery of the ability to communicate their vision and translate that vision into action.
Article courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.
