Page 87 - HBR Leader's Handbook: Make an Impact, Inspire Your Organization, and Get to the Next Level

Developing a Strategy 77

3.

Getting Great

People on Board

I believe the real difference between success and failure in a corporation
can be very often traced to the question of how well the organization brings
out the great energies and talents of its people.
—Thomas J. Watson Jr.

In chapter 2, we talked about how to translate your team’s vision into a
tangible and measurable strategy to address an environment with chang-
ing technology, market opportunities, and customer needs. To execute the
strategy, however, you need to get the right people on board. After all, a key
part of our definition of leadership is that much of your impact is through
others. That means building a leadership team and an organization with
the best talent and the right skills for executing your strategy, and motivat-
ing them to do so to the best of their abilities.
To do this, you need to achieve a fine balance between putting the or-
ganization’s needs first while also respecting the needs and desires of your