The 12 Week Year

About the Authors

Brian P. Moran is the President and Founder of The 12 Week Year. With over 30 years of experience as a corporate executive, entrepreneur, consultant, and coach, Moran brings a unique perspective to helping individuals and organizations achieve their potential. His expertise spans various industries and leadership roles, positioning him to understand the complexities and challenges of high performance and strategic execution.

Michael Lennington has spent most of his professional life as a consultant. He has worked across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, gaining a global perspective on business execution and leadership. Currently, Lennington focuses on coaching entrepreneurial clients, writing on leadership and business execution, and developing tools to help individuals and organizations accomplish more.

Main Idea

The 12 Week Year challenges the traditional concept of annual goal setting and planning. Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington propose a revolutionary approach to productivity that focuses on executing plans in 12-week cycles rather than over an entire year. This method aims to help individuals and organizations achieve more in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months by fostering a sense of urgency and focus on critical activities.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The Challenge of High Performance
2. Redefining the Year
3. Three Principles of High Performance
4. Five Disciplines of Execution
5. Creating a Compelling Vision
6. Effective Planning and Execution
7. Measurement and Accountability
8. Overcoming Obstacles and Maintaining Focus
9. Conclusion: Living the 12 Week Year

Analyzing and Explaining Each Idea and Sub-Content

Introduction: The Challenge of High Performance

Moran and Lennington open their book by addressing a common issue: the majority of people never reach their full potential. Many fail to set goals, and those who do often struggle to achieve them. The authors propose a solution to this problem by asking, "What if you could change this? What if every day you woke up and performed up to your full potential?"

"The vast majority of people never live up to their full potential. Most of us fail to set goals at all and among those of us that do, many of us fail to achieve them." - Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

Redefining the Year

Traditionally, individuals and organizations set annual goals. However, Moran and Lennington argue that this approach creates a false sense of security and delays urgency. They introduce the concept of a 12-week year, where every week, day, and moment counts towards achieving goals. This shift helps eliminate complacency and promotes consistent action.

Annual planning often leads to "annualized thinking," which can be a significant barrier to high performance. People tend to believe they have plenty of time to achieve their goals, leading to procrastination and lack of urgency. By redefining the year into 12-week periods, the authors encourage a mindset that fosters immediate and focused action.

"The truth is that every week counts! Every day counts! Every moment counts!" - Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

Three Principles of High Performance

The authors outline three principles essential for high performance: