From the Ask Tom mailbag:

Question:

A couple of weeks ago, in Execute Like a Dictator, you make a quick reference, (BTW, you cannot be the dictator). What did you mean by that?

Response:

In his book Driving Force, Peter Schutz, the former CEO of Porshe uses an analogy to contrast the difference between planning (democracy) and implementation (dictatorship).

Implementation as dictatorship is captured by his story of Raceday. In the pits, there is no discussion of 401-k plans, or office holidays or the quality of food in the company cafeteria. On Raceday, there is only pure focus on replacing the worn tires, refueling the tank and getting that car back out on the track. As the CEO of Porshe, Peter had the pleasure (and the pit pass) to be close to the action.

On one occasion, there was a bit of confusion and the pit leader screamed at him, “Hey, you, go get (something that Peter described as heavy and dirty).” There was no discussion, this was a dictatorship. Peter scurried away and fetched the dirty, heavy object back to the side of the race car.

This system of implementation on Raceday (as a dictatorship) is required. It is the only way to be competitive. There can be no time for discussion, generating alternatives, being sensitive to feelings. It is Raceday and to win the race, their execution had to be flawless.

But notice that the CEO was NOT the dictator. Yes, there was someone barking direct orders, but it was the crew leader who was the dictator. During the planning stages, in preparation for Raceday, the crew duly selected someone to be their leader for the day. In their planning, they agreed that person would coordinate their efforts and they would, without question, comply with their full efforts.

So, as the manager in your organization, you may find implementation, to be competitive, must be like a dictatorship. You may also find yourself fetching something heavy and dirty. -TF