(Note: Those personnel in orgs who are titled as executives are the Board Members, the Commanding Officer or Executive Director or head of the org, the HCO Executive Secretary, the Org Executive Secretary, the Public Executive Secretary, the heads of divisions and the heads of departments. In very large orgs the title is extended to heads of large sections. To these listed persons especially this data on executives applies.)

In order to get his job done, an executive must be someone from whom others are willing to take orders.

Before one can adequately perform the duties of an executive in an organization one would have to know what an executive is.

The first test any follower of a leader requires the leader to meet is competence. Does the leader know what he is doing? This is already covered in the definitions of an executive. For if an executive meets these definitions, those to whom he must give orders are very likely to receive them in confidence.

EXECUTIVE: One who holds a position of administrative or managerial responsibility in an organization.

There is a great deal of mystique (qualifications or skills that set a person or thing apart and beyond the understanding of an outsider) connected with leadership. Most of this mystique is nonsense; however, it is necessary that one who leads can attract attention and that he can enthuse and interest others. Simply knowing more about the subject than others or knowing more about organization than others can cause an executive to be regarded respectfully or even with awe.

To give one some idea of the power associated with the word, Daniel Webster, in 1826, defined it as “The officer, whether king, president or other chief magistrate, who superintends the execution of the laws; the person who administers the government, executive power or authority in government. Men most desirous of places in the executive gift, will not expect to be gratified, except by their support of the executive. John Quincy.”

A common denominator to all good executives is the ability to communicate, to have affinity for their area and their people, and to be able to achieve a reality on existing circumstances. All this adds up to understanding. An executive who lacks these qualities or abilities is not likely to be very successful.

Executive is used in distinction from legislative and judicial. The body that deliberates and enacts laws is legislative; the body that judges or applies the laws to particular cases is judicial; the body or person who carries the laws into effect or superintends the enforcement of them is executive, according to its 19th century governmental meaning according to Webster.

Understanding, added to competence, is probably the most ideal character of an executive.

The word comes from the Latin “Ex(s)equi (past participle ex(s)ecutus), execute, follow to the end: ex-, completely + sequi, to follow.” In other words, he follows things to the end and GETS SOMETHING DONE.

The ability to lead can also be compounded of forcefulness and demandingness, and these two qualities are often seen to stand alone in leadership without regard to competence and, though acceptable to juniors to the degree that they will obey, are no long-term guarantee of an executive's supremacy. While they are often part of a successful executive's personality, they are not a substitute for other qualities and will not see him through. He must truly understand what he is doing and demonstrate competence on a long-term basis in order to achieve distinction and respect.

Taking up the definition part by part we can achieve a considerable understanding of the nature and beingness of an executive.

In all great leaders there is a purpose and intensity which is unmistakable. Plus there is a certain amount of courage required in a leader.

“One who holds a position . . .”; a position is a place or location. It is social standing or status; rank. It is a post of employment; job. The sense of this is that an executive is a STABLE TERMINAL for his staff and assistants. He is not continuously elsewhere or missing. He actually holds his position, social standing, status, rank and performs his duties from that position. He is known and visible and in one way or another reachable or himself reaches those areas which need to be handled.

A man who merely wants to be liked will never be a leader. Others follow those who have the courage to get things done even though they say they follow those they like. A broad examination of history shows clearly that men follow those they respect. Respect is a recognition of inspiration, purpose and competence and personal force or power.

“. . . of administrative . . .” in the definition would refer to his actions in administering his area. Administer means “to have charge of; direct; manage.” It is taken from the Latin administrare, to be an aid to: ad-, to + ministrare, to serve. From minister, servant. By this we see that he has charge of, directs, manages and SERVES his area.

The qualities of leadership are not difficult to attain, providing they are understood.

. . or managerial. . refers to management, which is the act, manner or practice of managing, handling or controlling something. Skill in managing, executive ability, which means that the activity is HANDLED or CONTROLLED by the executive.

“. . . responsibility . . .” means the state, quality or fact of being responsible, and responsible means legally or ethically accountable for the care or welfare of another. Involving personal accountability or ability to act without guidance or superior authority. Being the source or cause of something. Capable of making moral or rational decisions on one’s own and therefore answerable for one’s behavior. Able to be trusted or depended upon; reliable. Based upon or characterized by good judgment or sound thinking. This means essentially that an executive DOES NOT WAIT FOR ORDERS TO ACT. He is the one who, guided by policy, acts on his own initiative to handle and supervise his area and others and does not himself require supervision.

“... in an organization.” An organization means the act of organizing or the process of being organized. The state or manner of being organized: “a high degree of organization.” Something that has been organized or made into an ordered whole. A number of persons or groups having specific responsibilities and united for some purpose or work. Thus an organization is an activity or area that is being organized or has been organized or made into an “ordered whole.”

Thus, from the words and definitions taken from the language itself and the tradition of the culture, we can see what an executive is, what he does and what he eventually has — an organization.

It is very interesting that one can examine the above definition and subdefinitions and analyze an executive’s general competence. Where any of these things are missing in his character or duty or general conduct, there is very likely to be a flaw in the activity he has under his authority. One could go over these items one by one, for himself or for another, and he would see at once what had to be improved and what was satisfactory in his or others’ executive beingness.

In order to competently achieve the beingness of an executive, one would have to have the technology of how to organize and would have to have, as well, a concept of the ideal scene of an organization in order to compare it to any existing scene and would have to be familiar with the technology required in that specific organization by which it produces the products necessary for its survival.

In that every organization has value only to the degree it produces, one can see that an executive should be able to achieve production long before his organization is perfected and to be able to perfect the organization while producing. Otherwise the organization would not be sufficiently viable to survive and his status as an executive would cease.

Good executives are very valuable and the value consists of their ability to obtain production and form the necessary and adequate organization in order to do so. There are no stellar executives who do not meet every piece and part of the above definitions.