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They fail because nobody built the conditions people needed to execute. About 90 percent of organizations fall short on executing their strategies, and roughly two-thirds of well-formed strategies break down in execution. The Six Cs gives leaders a practical way to close that distance, so the work of execution gets the same attention the planning did.

Two phases of execution

PHASE 1

Setting the Stage

The groundwork: building alignment, removing confusion, and clearing the space and resources to follow through before the real work starts.

Co-Creation · Clarity · Capacity

PHASE 2

Showtime

Where strategy meets reality: bringing the plan to life, adjusting as conditions change, and supporting your team as they deliver.

Communication · Coordination · Coaching

The Six Cs Defined

An interconnected system, not a checklist. Neglect any one and you open a hole that weakens the whole effort.

1

Co-Creation

Bring a wider set of perspectives into shaping the strategy, so you get better alignment, real-world validation, and genuine commitment from the start. People support what they help create.

2

Clarity

Build shared understanding by defining what matters most, making it meaningful, and setting priorities that guide daily decisions. A strategy that's impossible to misunderstand.

3

Capacity

Make sure the time, focus, and resources exist to do the work, usually through subtraction. Capacity clears the road that clarity mapped out.

4

Communication

Keeping teams informed, inspired, and connected to the bigger picture, through communication that's early, loud, and continuous.

5

Coordination

Bringing structure to execution so teams work together without tripping over each other. Clear ownership, visible dependencies, roadblocks spotted early. It's infrastructure not bureaucracy.

6

Coaching

The glue that holds it together once the plan hits real-world friction. Leaders at every level keep teams focused, reinforce accountability, and help people adapt.

A system, not a sequence

The Six Cs aren't necessarily done in order. They're interconnected. When each element is strong, they work together to keep teams aligned, focused, and moving toward results, before, during, and after the plan hits the ground.

How the Six Cs is used

Kevin works the Six Cs into three kinds of engagements with leadership teams.

Speaking & Workshops

Keynotes and interactive workshops built around the Six Cs, giving teams a shared language and practical tools for turning strategy into results.

Hands On Consulting

Direct work with leadership teams to build the six execution conditions inside a specific transformation or initiative.

Executive Coaching

One-on-one work with executives who want to lead teams that consistently execute.

ABOUT THE CREATOR

Kevin Ertell

The Six Cs was created by Kevin Ertell, founder and CEO of Mistere Advisory and author of The Strategy Trap (Ideapress Publishing), a #1 Amazon bestseller and award-winning book on strategy execution. Kevin spent more than 30 years as a retail executive at companies including Nike, Sur La Table, Borders, and Tower Records before founding Mistere Advisory, where he helps leaders turn strategies into real results.

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Bring the Six Cs to your leadership team through a keynote, a workshop, or hands-on work.

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