Has your company tried to implement leadership training that ended up doing absolutely nothing for the leaders or the employees? If so, you’re not alone, and it’s because they’re missing a key component in what makes a great leader: accountability. Today’s guest, Vince Molinaro is an expert on the subject. In fact, he wrote the book on it, The Leadership Contract. He and Laurie talk about the 5 behaviors of accountable leaders and ways to fix a disengaged, broken workforce.
Vince Molinaro is a thought leader and consultant, and author of the fantastic book, The Leadership Contract.
- We all have our stories about work and the leadership we experienced, some good and some bad. But some of them are just lukewarm. Dead and dull, the daily grind, even in sectors where the work itself is life-changing. Vince shares the story of his time at a company like that, and the heartbreaking reason why the turnaround his mentor and leader spearheaded ended up failing and the toxicity that was behind a curtain. This experience is what set Vince on his path of thought leadership.
- Vince’s former mentor and boss was the epitome of great leadership. Not only did she have what Vince calls leadership ESP, but she also shielded him and the other employees from the toxicity of upper management. All that Vince does, he does in memory of his mentor. She inspired him to work only with truly great leaders.
- Is there one, standard definition of what great leadership is, or does it vary from organization to organization? Vince has spent a long time learning and researching that very questions, and what he’s found is that while companies are investing more and more in leadership programs, they aren’t happy with the outcomes. It all comes down to accountability.
- Vince shares the 5 behaviors that describe a truly accountable leader: holds others to high standards of performance, is excited about the company and shows that enthusiasm every day, has the courage to tackle tough issues and the courage to have difficult conversations, knows how to cascade and communicate strategy, and one who keeps their eyes truly open.
- Models of businesses and leadership are changing, so do those behaviors still hold true? Laurie and Vince discuss how we are more dependent on each other than ever before, and how leadership doesn’t just come from the top. If companies are going to succeed, they need a new brand of leadership accountability.
- How can you be accountable if you don’t have any real power? Mid-level managers face this dilemma all the time, as Laurie points out, and Vince explains what a dual response is and what it means for you AND your upper management leaders.
- Laurie points to the chicken and egg problem with trying to find future leaders in a workforce that is largely disengaged. She and Vince talk about the huge opportunities companies have missed and instead have tried foosball tables and cafeterias to increase engagement. For example, focusing on leader engagement sets off a ripple effect throughout the entire company.
- Don’t kill the souls of the people who work for you. Please. Do us all a favor and take Vince’s advice on how to get your passion back and become engaged once again in your role as a leader. First of all, you have an obligation to lead. Leadership is a contract (which is why he named his book The Leadership Contract). But you ALSO have an obligation to yourself to fulfill, and that is to ask yourself whether you’re really meant for a leadership role.
- Vince brings a measure of optimism to Laurie’s normal cynicism, and he shares his thoughts on how you can fix work for yourself. Yes, the robots are coming. There’s AI. There’s employee disengagement all around. But then there’s YOU. You have a wealth of experience in the trenches, and Vince reveals how you can be the change you hope to see at work and the tremendous opportunities that await you.
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