By: Barry Litwin

As a longtime CEO with extensive experience in public, private, and private equity-backed industries, one of the most common questions I’ve been asked is how I ensure execution while operating a business. 

It’s a good question that ties in neatly with my thoughts on the Five-by-Five strategy, which I covered in a recent article. For those who haven’t read it, I explained the Five-by-Five framework as a system that defines what matters the most to any enterprise or organization. It’s a structural focus and clarification that establishes the organization’s North Star, aligning its strategies with its objectives and sharpening its priorities. 

With this article, however, clarity alone won’t create momentum. Rhythm, structure, and accountability are equally important to ensure success in any undertaking. 

For this reason, I’ve consistently employed a proven management operating process in any endeavor I’ve led. It involves a three-core weekly workstream that tracks performance while shaping it, essentially transforming strategy into motion by driving execution, accountability, and cross-functional alignment. 

The result? A highly efficient management system that smoothly transitions from strategy articulation to operational reality via finely honed workstreams. Here are the basic steps of this system: 

1. Holding Regular “Hub” Meetings

These are business operating meetings, the primary purpose of which is to monitor performance closely. 

These weekly core operating sessions are structured meetings wherein I work closely with functional leaders to review performance across key areas like sales, supply chain, technology, and customer experience, all of which are linked to profit and loss (P&L) assessment.

As an example, a typical meeting might cover sales and margin performance to plan, corrective actions, and owner accountability. Alternatively, we may cover new product introductions, pricing intelligence, inventory trends, and marketing and promotion readiness. 

One thing these sessions aren’t about is reporting‒at least not exclusively. Instead, we tend to focus more on the nuts and bolts of running the business: leading indicators, assigning actions in real-time, and the like. 

I also begin each meeting with a quick status check on follow-ups during the previous week. And if there’s anything too complex to resolve immediately, we usually set it aside and revisit it the following week.

I typically conduct three to four hub meetings each week. This practice offers a comprehensive overview, including board communications, employee town halls, and department updates. It also gives everyone a clear understanding of how their roles influence the company’s performance, which helps to increase engagement.

2. Reviewing Initiatives

I’d like to emphasize the importance of keeping strategic transformation moving at a steady pace. Although day-to-day operations are crucial for keeping the business running, strategic initiatives are essential for charting direction. 

Some of the ways you can guide where your business is going include digital transformation, inventory optimization, infrastructure investments, CX redesigns, and systems upgrades. These are some of the enterprise-level initiatives that drive the Five-by-Five strategy.

Set aside some time to review your strategic initiatives daily. For instance, you can devote time to milestone tracking, R/Y/G health status, cross-functional blockers and resolution paths, and problem-solving, all of which require executive intervention.

Think of it as strategic governance rather than project management. As a CEO, your responsibilities include intervening where necessary, reallocating resources, refining scope, or adjusting timelines. By devoting time to the future of your business, you avoid getting mired in the jumble of day-to-day operations.   

3. Leadership Alignment Meetings

Setting aside time for one-on-one meetings with your direct reports is just as important. Strive to make these meetings more about strategic leadership than administrative updates. By proactively checking in on how your leadership team is doing, you can eliminate barriers, smoothen friction points, and discuss succession planning. As importantly, these meetings provide the human context often sorely lacking in team settings. 

Workstream Direction Forums

Strategic planning sessions allow you to guide priorities, align teams, and shape key workstream direction. You can structure these meetings into three key steps: 

I. Performance Adjustment

Over the years, I’ve found that implementing a structured clawback process is crucial for enabling fast, informed responses when performance veers off-track. To maintain the organization’s financial agility, I’ve frequently implemented a clawback register, which is an active log of countermeasures tied to revenue, margin, and EBITDA goals. 

I’ve also achieved favorable results by meeting with functional leaders closest to the data weekly to review key actions. This approach has often proven to be effective for real-time course correction, supporting responsive planning, and preventing strategic drift by maintaining focus on execution and accountability.

II. Leadership-to-Staff Messaging

Consider establishing a consistent, impactful communication rhythm to reinforce alignment, drive transparency, and recognize contribution. Weekly updates with the board should focus on key metrics, initiative milestones, and emerging risks to maintain engagement between formal meetings. 

Remember to embed recognition into these touchpoints to strengthen culture and morale as well. Maintaining clear and ongoing communications can bridge the gap between planning and execution, building trust across all levels and keeping everyone focused on shared outcomes.

III. Operational Anchors Across Teams

Sustaining an effective operating rhythm requires a dedicated role to coordinate execution across teams. I’ve often found it beneficial to appoint a Chief of Staff or Director of Strategy to serve as the central integrator of the management operating system. 

These personnel typically coordinate with business leaders to shape agendas, track commitments, manage initiative scorecards, and maintain visibility through a corporate KPI dashboard. They serve as Project Management Officers for CEOs, transforming routines into disciplined, results-oriented systems.

Turning Practice into Principle

These weekly workflows comprise an integrated operating model that brings direction, pace, and cohesion to the organization. They enable clear priorities, responsive execution, financial focus, and a strong team connection.

I strongly recommend adopting this model as the backbone of your business. By sharpening focus, tackling challenges early on, and expediting the problem-solving process, this approach can strengthen trust in your leadership and keep your teams aligned with the company’s goals and purposes. More importantly, it allows you to shift your strategy from planning to practice.

Published by: Liz SD.