"For Bennett, having critical players commit to a shared vision is the key to leadership. "You could have an 80 percent strategy that you get commitment on that gives you a much better outcome than the perfect strategy you don't get commitment on." He learned this firsthand in 1987 while working as a marketing manager at GE. When his manager asked him what his group's strategy was, Bennett replied it was "in his brain," compiled from several presentations. The manager strongly reprimanded him for expecting to be able to mobilize 3,000 people without a concrete plan. Bennett recalled thinking he might be fired on the spot. "It was a seminal moment for me," he said. "If you don't get shared vision, you don't get execution."
Never make a decision unless you have shared vision with your critical stakeholders—business or personal, he advised. And, he cautioned, don't simply assume others share your vision because they say so. Behavior, not words, is often a better clue to how people are feeling. Keep them talking and draw them out into an environment where constant debate is encouraged. And lastly, don't let differences fester."