Welcome to the Business Execution: Understanding the Fundamentals course. This is the first course of the Business Execution series.

Why do so many companies have a great strategic idea but just can't seem to get to that end goal? Why is it so hard to get things done? Many organizations fail at strategy execution because the gap between promises made and results achieved is too wide.

Strategy execution requires an organization to master a specific set of values and behaviors. This gives an organization a competitive advantage since actions that are wholly integrated into your business processes can't be imitated.

The execution process can be viewed as a set of connected actions that enable strategy fulfillment when all is working smoothly. But without careful planning, you may meet barriers that prevent strategy execution.

There is a substantial difference between strategy planning and execution. Creating strategy is a lot easier than executing it. In this course, you'll learn about the cornerstones of effective business strategy execution – correct leadership behavior, having people in the right roles, and creating a culture of execution.

You'll begin by reviewing the reasons why executing business strategy is difficult. First, you'll become familiar with the drivers to strategy execution. Then you'll review some common barriers to strategy execution.

You'll also learn to recognize leadership behavior that's conducive to delivering results. And you'll determine if an organization – leaders, middle management, and the workforce – is displaying characteristics that support strategy execution and has people in the right roles.

Then you'll learn what a culture of execution entails and the four steps to create a culture that promotes business execution. With this knowledge, you'll be able to determine if your company meets the conditions that facilitate strategy execution.

That’s it! Now go ahead and push that “Take this course” button and see you inside the course!