Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv
INTRODUCTION xvii
ACCOUNTABILITY STARTS WITH PURPOSE 1
LEARNING FROM WINNERS 13
THE SEVEN PILLARS OF ACCOUNTABILITY 35
CHARACTER COUNTS 47
GALVANIZING YOUR TEAM 73
GREEN AND GROWING 109
WHAT YOUR BEST EMPLOYEES WANT 141
INSTILLING A SENSE OF URGENCY 169
WALKING THE TALK 199
CHANGE PRACTICES, NOT PRINCIPLES 225
APPENDIX 259
NOTES 277
INDEX 283
Accountability is one of the biggest challenges business leaders face, but it can also be one of the most important factors leading to success. This groundbreaking book explains why and how.
Top business consultant and speaker Greg Bustin has dedicated a career to working with CEOs and the leadership teams of companies on this crucial topic. Over the last five years, he has interviewed and surveyed more than 3,200 executives around the world--from such admired companies as Marriott, Container Store, Ernst & Young, Sony, Herman Miller, Nucor, and Southwest Airlines--tounderstand how high-performing corporations successfully create and sustain a culture of purpose, trust, and fulfillment. Along the way, Bustin developed a set of leadership tools that will increase accountability and drive success for any type of organization.
Accountability will transform the way you manage,maintain, and motivate yourself, your team, and, ultimately, your workforce. As a business leader's guide to the best practices to turn longterm vision into reality, it introduces the Seven Pillars of Accountability and shows how each pillar is a crucial part of effective leadership:
- Character
- Unity
- Learning
- Tracking
- Urgency
- Reputation
- Evolution
Lack of accountability is the single greatest obstaclefacing even the most experienced leaders. It saps morale, drains profits, and disenfranchises employees--and it can shift your team into crisis mode on a daily basis. Greg Bustin shares his own stories, including what he learned the hard way: if you are not clear about everything--vision, values, objectives, strategy, rewards, and penalties--the likelihood of achieving your goals is slim.Bustin has tapped the experience of the senior leadersof the world's most respected organizations, and he shares their stories and advice in this book.
Accountability offers powerful concepts and practical examples you can apply in your organizationalong with provocative questions and useful exercises to help you create a high-performance culture in your workplace. It's a must-read for anyone who wants practical, actionable steps to build and grow a thriving business.