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"In their recent (practitioner) book, Promise-Based Execution, consultants and leadership advisors Claus Maron and Niels Beck adopt a new idea to the traditionally thorny strategy implementation and execution context. The idea is to break down strategies to mainly lateral promises at the level of people and units. They convincingly argue that lacking ownership and accountability are root causes of implementation and execution failures. There is much to learn from this clear and well-written book, and using it productively doesn’t require that you are planning to go all in on the idea of Promise-Based Execution. The very notion of committing employees through (the mutual exchange of credible) promises is a very powerful one that can be leveraged in many contexts (including universities!)."

“It is hard to think of a management team that would not benefit from reading this book and trying its approach out in practice. Having themselves worked for many years as advisors and practitioners within the leadership discipline of executing strategy, the authors Claus Maron and Niels Beck have absorbed much of the research and literature on strategy execution, boiling down the advice in it to distil its essence, and testing it out in practice. They have turned that into a methodology of their own, and ‘Promise-Based Execution’ is a practical guide to what really works. They rightly recognise that effective execution is really just a function of how well people can work together to achieve a common goal, and so the commitments people make to each other about what they are going to do and how they will support each other is at the centre of their approach.

“This book is a must read. Based on scientific research and 30+ years of hands-on experience by the authors, they have combined the latest thinking in leadership psychology with strategy execution. Promise-Based Execution will re-shape your thinking on strategy execution and performance management. The methodology offers practical guidance and tools to create real strategy execution commitment in every team. Highly recommended!”

“Niels Beck and Claus Maron identify and create links others rarely see between three of the most important management disciplines – strategy, execution and people management. Most of us enjoy thinking creatively about strategy, but sooner or later, you have to turn it into tangible action at every level of the company. Their book provides extremely practical and specific instructions on ‘how’ to do just that, combined with a healthy dose of common sense about motivation and good people management.”

As a Private Equity investor, success builds on supporting and transforming family and entrepreneur-owned companies to become strategically and operationally much stronger and hence create value from being the “first institutional owner”. It is always a challenging and complex journey, and it becomes key to be very good at strategy execution to succeed in this transformation. We have been working together with Blue Note Consultants for some years and used their Promise-Based Execution (PBE) method in several of our portfolio companies and we have experienced PBE to be a very strong Leadership approach, particularly when it comes to engaging people around the Strategy and creating transparency and commitment for each individual’s contribution in strategy execution”. Claus and Niels’s book “Promise-based-Execution” gives great practical insight on how PBE works and how to get started”

“This is an easy-to-read book and full of practical ideas on how to ensure that everyone within an organization identifies with the overall strategy but equally importantly, understands how their own role fits within the whole”. I now gift copies off this book to boards that I chair where management are on their first journey under Private Equity ownership and where strategic planning and professionalizing the business is often new to the individuals involved.”

“Most executives – like me – will have read numerous books about management, strategy, and organization. This book is among the best books I have read and has a distinct quality, which sets it apart from other management books: it is worth revisiting when you need it. I enjoyed reading the book because it is so practical yet well founded in modern leadership. No matter how seasoned we are as leaders, we to return to the training ground occasionally, reinforce and upscale our leadership skills. This book takes us there and it guides us how to lead strategy execution by delegating and building trustful relationships that make people perform and execute better. And when things don’t go to plan the authors remind us of the pitfalls to avoid.”

“Promise-Based Execution is by far the best book that I have read in terms of bringing successful strategy execution to life in simplified, practical steps. It is a publication that any visionary leader will find insightful. 25 years’ of service in the Royal Marine Commandos had ingrained in me ways of working and behaviours that are the foundations for successful execution. Making a promise and therefore building and maintaining trust, is the critical ingredient required for success. Maron and Beck have much experience working with organisations around the globe. Their learnings and insights from these experiences, coupled with intensive research, are essential components when even trying to pull something like this together. I would highly recommend it to every company/organization to read this book and consider how they can learn from others in a dynamic, changing world.”

“Too often leaders dedicate time to strategy and assume execution will just take care of itself, yet we know it will not! Leading execution by engagement, promises, and commitment rather than burdensome processes, hierarchy, and top-down dictation is the passion of Maron and Beck, and that show’s in their excellent new book Promise-Based Execution. Based on decades of experience and research, they offer leaders a clear, detailed, and practical guide to why Execution Leadership matters and how to engage your wider group of leaders in making strong commitments to execution and delivering results. It is a must-read for all executives who want to understand why things are not working now, and more importantly how to rethink their approach to execution and finally achieve the promised outcomes.”

"Promise-Based Execution is a tour de force. It walks its talk by demonstrating solid strategy and excellent execution. The authors’ applied knowledge permeates this future-fit operating system. They succeed in building a compelling case that front-loading an investment in PBE makes your organization more robust and resilient due to the engagement and empowerment of your people. This in turn reduces friction and leverages growth. The book’s inspiring key concept is The Power of Promises, which bridges business and the profoundly human fundamental of trust. This book places the reader front and center. It leads you to reflect on your own leadership behavior and makes you want to become a better you.“

"I can highly recommend reading this book! In essence, it is a leader’s guide for a simple and proven approach to Strategy Execution. The Promised Based Execution method can improve the ability to drive transformative strategies. By fostering an environment where success is a collective achievement driven by personal contributions. It nurtures a sense of both individual and collective responsibility, where each individual feel truly committed and empowered to execute and deliver results in line with the strategy. As the younger generations are driving our focus on purpose, this approach of trust and commitment to each other is pivotal to engage future generations."