A Practitioner's Field Guide

The 10 Secrets of Execution

How to Drive Accountability and Accelerate Business Results

Less than 10% of strategies effectively formulated are effectively executed. This book — distilled from 200+ strategic plans across every industry — delivers the ten principles that close that gap.

The 10 Secrets of Execution by Scott Regan
200+
Strategic Plans Developed & Executed
$50M
Annual Net Income Turnaround
30+
Years of Hands-On Experience

Ten Principles. Three Phases. One System.

The 10 Secrets are organized into three progressive phases. Master each phase, and execution becomes a discipline — not a hope.

Phase 1
Strategic Clarity
Decide Decide what really matters. Get rid of everything else.
Measure Measure outcomes, not outputs. Stop confusing being busy with being strategic.
Assign Make assignments to individual owners with firm due dates.
Phase 2
Execution Mechanics
Review Review execution at least monthly, preferably weekly.
Accelerate A plan that is 70% correct is acceptable. Execute now and adjust later.
Dedicate Give your team dedicated time to execute. Clean calendars of unproductive meetings.
Incent Align incentives to performance. Reward people for getting results.
Simplify Keep goals clear and directions simple. Complexity is the enemy of execution.
Phase 3
Cultural Transformation
Push Push execution to the front lines. Every employee should connect their work to an organizational goal.
Align Align mission, vision, and strategy. When your team lives your mission, execution becomes automatic.
Execution is not a project. It is not a phase. It is not something you do after the strategy is developed. It is the strategy.
— From The 10 Secrets of Execution

This Is Not a Theory Book

Every chapter opens with a real-world case study. Every principle comes with practical frameworks and tools you can implement this week. The Appendix includes a 30-question diagnostic assessment that tells you exactly where your organization stands.

  • Real Case Studies

    Including the transformation of a health system from $20M in losses to $50M in net income — and a spot on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

  • 12 Practical Tools

    From the 3-3-6 Execution Cycle to the One-Question Innovation Survey that unlocked $2M in annual savings with zero capital expenditure.

  • 30-Question Assessment

    Take the free online assessment → It will tell you where your greatest vulnerabilities lie and which chapters deserve the most attention.

  • Mnemonic Framework

    DECIDE · MEASURE · ASSIGN · REVIEW · ACCELERATE · DEDICATE · INCENT · SIMPLIFY · PUSH · ALIGN — ten words that encode the entire system.

Scott Regan

Scott Regan

Scott Regan is a practitioner of strategy execution. Over more than three decades, he has facilitated the development and execution of more than 200 strategic plans for organizations across healthcare, technology, manufacturing, financial services, and higher education.

As Chief Operating Officer of Memorial Health, a 530-bed teaching hospital in Savannah, Georgia, Scott led the operational execution that helped transform the health system into one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. He is also the architect of a $40 million, 18-month turnaround of Jersey City Medical Center.

Scott is the founder of LeadWorks, a marketing firm specializing in healthcare, and the creator of Stratello.io, a strategic planning application built on the principles of the 10 Secrets of Execution.

MBA MHA Lean Six Sigma Black Belt AMA Professional Certified Marketer DMI Certified Digital Professional AHA Excellence Award

The Companion Workbook

All twelve tools referenced in the book — ready to use with your team. Fill them out as you read each chapter, or use them to facilitate execution workshops with your leadership team.

  • Strategic & Operational Plan Template
  • The 3-3-6 Execution Cycle
  • One-Question Innovation Survey
  • 30-Question Diagnostic Assessment
  • Mission Statement Litmus Test
  • Incentive Alignment Matrix
  • Monthly Review Agenda
  • And 5 more frameworks

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From Book to Software

Stratello.io is the strategic planning application built on the principles of the 10 Secrets of Execution. It turns the book's frameworks into a living, interactive system your team can use every day.

The book gives you the principles. Stratello gives you the platform.

Explore Stratello →
  • Build and manage strategic & operational plans
  • Track execution with built-in review cycles
  • Assign tactics to individual owners with due dates
  • Monitor progress with real-time dashboards
  • Score your organization with the 10 Secrets Assessment
  • Align your entire team around what matters

Thirteen Years in the Making.
Three Decades of Experience Behind It.
Ten Principles That Work.

Available now in paperback and hardcover on Amazon. Take the assessment, apply the principles, and transform your organization's ability to execute.

Buy on Amazon Download Free Workbook