The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive

One of my favorite authors is Patrick Lencioni. His leadership ideas are simple but powerful. The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive is no exception.

In this book he begins with two fictitious companies. One exemplifies a healthy organization and the other does not. The story showcases how an organization becomes healthy. A healthy organization is defined as having less politics, and confusion, higher morale and productivity, lower unwanted turnover, and lower recruiting costs than an unhealthy one (Lencioni, 140).

The following are Lencioni's four disciplines of a healthy organization (141):
1. Build and maintain a cohesive leadership team. This is the most critical and
enables the other three.
2. Create organizational clarity. It is agreeing to the fundamental concepts
that drive an organization.
3. Over-communicate organizational clarity. With this principle, employees at
all levels and in all departments understand what the organization is about
and how they contribute to its success.
4. Reinforce organizational clarity through human systems. Systems and processes that drive human behavior must be clear.

The end result of practicing these principles is a healthier, happier and more productive organization.

As you think about these principles, which ones are currently active in your organization.