Does any of this sound familiar? You leave the room with a clear plan. Everyone has agreed on what needs to happen. Yet, a few weeks later, progress has slipped and you find yourself chasing people for outcomes.
Or perhaps everyone seems busy. Calendars are full. People say they have no capacity. Yet the critical activities that will move the business forward don’t shift.
If you answered yes to either of these, you are not alone. Many organisations struggle with the same challenge.
A common quote used in leadership programs, often attributed to Steve Jobs, is: “Employ good people and get out of their way.” It is an appealing idea. Hire capable people, give them freedom and let them deliver.
However, research into Steve Jobs’s approach to leadership paints a different picture.
Jobs certainly employed talented people, but he did not simply leave them to their own devices. He remained deeply involved. He set a clear direction, maintained high standards, challenged people’s thinking and paid close attention to both the big picture and the details.
This does not mean leaders should copy every part of Jobs’ style. But his example highlights a distinction: Empowerment is not abandonment.
Leading execution does not mean handing over a task and walking away. Nor does it mean staying so involved that every decision must come back through you.
Effective leadership sits between these two extremes. It means creating clarity, capability and support for people to take ownership while remaining engaged enough to challenge, coach and hold them accountable for results.
The power of attention
The well-known Hawthorne experiments help illustrate why this ongoing attention matters.
The early experiments examined whether changes to workplace lighting would affect productivity. The results later gave rise to what became known as the Hawthorne effect: the idea that people may change their behaviour or performance when they know attention is being paid to their work.
The exact causes and strength of the effect remain debated. However, the broader lesson still matters for leaders: people and performance cannot simply be left unattended.
Genuine interest, regular attention and clear expectations influence how people engage with their work. Read more about the Hawthorne experiments and their influence on management thinking.
Leaders can remain involved while still giving people the space to take ownership. This requires four things:
Clarity of purpose
The goal must be clear and measurable. People must understand how their work contributes to achieving it.
Alignment on activity
The leadership team must agree on which activities matter most. Otherwise, people remain busy without moving the things that will make the greatest difference.
Clear ownership
Leaders and team members must know what they own, which decisions they can make and what results they are accountable for delivering.
Operating rhythm
The business needs regular and predictable times to review priorities, decisions, progress and commitments. This keeps the most important work in focus and creates a healthy sense of felt accountability.
This rhythm is not about catching people out. It is about making commitments visible, identifying barriers early and giving people the support they need to deliver.
Before we introduce another process, reporting system or set of KPIs, we may need to examine our mindset about what it means to lead a high-performing and accountable team.
Because closing the gap between strategy and execution is not about getting people to work harder. It is about creating the conditions that allow people to deliver—and ensuring their efforts are seen and recognised.
Curious about how well your business bridges the gap between strategy and execution? Take this quick assessment to receive instant insights.
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