Companies frequently develop vision and mission statements about being No. 1 in their industry, the great service they provide to customers, and their rewarding work environment. More often than not, these statements are so far from reality that they become joke fodder for customers and employees alike. Your company really can keep the promises you make, but first you must create a culture of execution.

Creating a culture of execution begins with the knowledge that developing plans and strategic initiatives is just the starting point. It also requires adopting the mindset that a highly skilled and engaged work force, while important, won’t ensure effective execution.

Many leaders have a blind spot in this area. They either believe that their job is setting the direction, and execution is the responsibility of lower-level managers, or they assume that if they clearly communicate an exciting vision of the future to an engaged work force, everything else will fall into place.

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