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THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION FOR EDUCATORS

Meg Thompson Lynn Kosinski Sean Covey

From bestselling author Sean Covey, a revolutionary operating system that helps educators achieve their most wildly important goals by focusing on what matters most, even amid the daily whirlwind of urgent demandsbased on the groundbreaking 4 Disciplines of Execution framework.
In education, setting goals is easybut achieving them is hard. It's easy to understand why. Every day, educators face an overwhelming whirlwind of urgent tasks, making it nearly impossible to focus on long-term objectives. The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) offers a proven framework that has helped thousands of schools worldwide break through this barrier to achieve their most important goals.

This groundbreaking book shows educators at every level how to:
-Focus on the one or two goals that will make the biggest difference, using the principle of "less is more."
-Identify and act on high-leverage activities that predictably drive results.
-Create visible, compelling score boarding that motivates students and staff.
-Build a culture of shared accountability that gets everyone engaged in the goal.

Through inspiring real-world examplesfrom improving graduation rates to dramatically boosting reading proficiency scoresthe authors demonstrate how schools have used these four simple but powerful disciplines to achieve what once seemed impossible. Whether you're a superintendent, principal, teacher, or support staff member, this book provides the complete framework you need to cut through the daily chaos and consistently deliver on your most critical educational priorities.

Based on timeless principles of human effectiveness and backed by years of successful implementation in schools globally, The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators is an essential operating system for any educator serious about turning their biggest goals into reality.

Sean Covey is a business executive, author, speaker, and innovator. He is President of FranklinCovey Education and is devoted to transforming education throughout the world through a principle-centered leadership approach. Sean is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books, including the Wall Street Journal #1 business bestseller The 4 Disciplines of Execution, The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into twenty languages and sold over 8 million copies worldwide. Sean and his wife, Rebecca, live with their children in the Rocky Mountains.
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Published 2026-05-26 by Simon & Schuster

Comments

The 4 Disciplines' practical guidance on goal-setting and measurement resonates with groups of all levels in our organization. Many teams have applied this intuitive approach to build engagement and increase execution and accountability.

Many of the foundational values of Marriott are embodied within The 4 Disciplines of Execution. By utilizing this process inside our organization, our leaders and teams have been able to set and achieve extraordinary goals, which have had a significant impact on making 'Our Guests' Experience' truly remarkable. Any organization can create these same kinds of breakthrough results if they apply the principles and processes taught in this book!

The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers more than theories for making strategic organizational change. The authors explain not only the 'what' but also 'how' effective execution is achieved. They share numerous examples of companies that have done just that, not once, but over and over again. This is a book that every leader should read!

Customers are loyal to a brand when they can trust it to deliver a consistently outstanding experience. This requires the commitment of everyone up and down the organization to innovate new ways to economically delight customers, so they become promoters. The 4 Disciplines of Execution offers a proven process for engaging the hearts and minds of every employee toward this vital goal. I highly recommend this book to any leader committed to making customer loyalty a mission-critical goal.

We believe that The 4 Disciplines of Execution are the keys to growth and success. For years we have struggled with creating focus for our people. We have used priority sheets, standards of performance measures, and others. We have fallen in love with the concepts of "whirlwinds and WIG!" When you read this book you will never look at work, or life, the same!

The State of Georgia had unprecedented success as a result of implementing the principles outlined in The 4 Disciplines of Execution. We certified hundreds of leaders to take the disciplines to every department, achieving unprecedented results in customer service, quality improvement, and cost reduction. These execution principles are a must for any government agency that is seeking to be world class.

What Six Sigma and Lean are to manufacturing, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is to executing your strategy. 4DX is a practical methodology that can solve every leader's #1 challenge: execution.

In a business world where the essence of leadership centers around strategy, this book highlights the true requirements of any organization to focus on the principles of execution. At The Ritz-Carlton, I believe the only way to strengthen operational excellence is through flawless execution. The application of Focus, Leverage, Engagement and Accountability, as discussed in The 4 Disciplines of Execution, are key to our success and make exceptional reading for today's business leaders.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution helps leaders, teams, and front line employees to narrow their focus and spend their time executing those things that will bring the highest return for their organization and customers. This book is a must read for any leader who wants to achieve that which is extraordinary in their company!

The 4 Disciplines of Execution book contains principles and processes that do indeed work. I do believe that 'execution excellence' is the ultimate competitive differential of this decade. As we have partnered with FranklinCovey to apply the methodology and process globally throughout our organization, it has not only had a significant impact on our organization's business results, but it has been transformational for me as a leader, both personally and professionally.