OVERVIEW

"[Leaders] need to transform the airy clich about people being their greatest asset into a guiding principle of business strategy. ^[1]"

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." Babe Ruth

There are no great plans only great executions. We don't remember the game plan of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX; we recall the win of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots. The plan of the German army for the Ardennes Offensive (commonly referred to as the Battle of the Bulge) is all but forgotten due to the actions of General George S. Patton and the U.S. Third Army when they suddenly left the front lines, performing one of the most amazing feats in U.S. military history by crossing mountainous terrain in a blinding snow storm to relieve the surrounded and trapped 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne.

Often, however, we recognize only the leaders for the successful achievements of the organization. In the late 1970s, Lee Iacocca joined Chrysler Corporation with the objective of rebuilding the company. He convinced Congress to provide loan guarantees rather than cash to prevent Chrysler from going out of business. This inspired the workforce as the firm divested Peugeot and revamped the product line with release of small, fuel-efficient K-Cars. In 1983, Chrysler introduced the minivan, a product that continues...