Cambridge Business Association
Executive Thinking
Book

Executive Thinking

The Dream, The Vision, The Mission Achieved

Leslie L. Kossoff
Davies-Black Publishing, 1999
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Editorial Rating

5

Qualities

  • For Beginners
  • Engaging

Recommendation

Remember the old Broadway song, “You gotta have a dream, or how you gonna have a dream come true?” This is the executive version. Author Leslie L. Kossoff maintains that executives must have – and must clearly and enthusiastically articulate – a dream of what a company can be in order to get everyone else in the company excited, aligned and active. As an executive (or as a climber of that ladder), you may find this a pretty reasonable introduction to leadership, though it could also sound fairly simplistic. Kossoff offers a few non-specific examples, either citing news stories or alluding to individual executives, but primarily she tells us how she thinks successful executives should behave. Like the content, the book’s tone also is a little reminiscent of a show tune – not too challenging and enjoyable to hum – but its attitude is sincere. getAbstract recommends this refresher as a philosophical pep talk that reminds executives how their approach to their jobs affects the realization of their dreams.

Summary

The Importance of Having a Dream

As an executive, you must have a clear dream of what your organization is and should be. Organizations exist due to dreams, be it dreams of success, a unique enterprise or unique products and services. Whatever your organization does, whatever its size, however long it has been in existence, you need this powerful dream to make it succeed.

Holding on to this dream is necessary, even if you encounter obstacles and frustrations. If you believe very strongly in your dream, despite these challenges, you will make it a reality. Expressing your dream to others in your organization is important, because everyone needs clear direction and an understanding of where the organization is going. As the executive, you are the source of that direction, so you have to convey it forcefully and with conviction.

A Vision Statement is not Vision

A vision is not the same thing as a vision statement. One is having a "vision for" the organization and the other is having a "vision of" the organization. When you have a vision for the organization, you have an active vision featuring a "real and tangible direction with a look and feel attached ...

About the Author

Leslie L. Kossoff is the principal of Kossoff Management Consulting, an international consulting firm based in San Francisco. She was an associate of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and director of the Institute for Quality and Productivity Improvement at California State University at Long Beach. She is the author of Managing for Quality: How to Implement and Manage a Business Strategy for Continuous Improvement.

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