The Leadership Contract, 3rd Edition

Chapter 9Sign the Leadership Contract

Earlier in the book, I defined a truly accountable leader as one who demonstrates a bias for getting important work done. An accountable leader is fully committed to moving things forward in the organization and takes full and personal ownership for his or her leadership role. When a company's leaders lack this kind of accountability, you end up with lame leadership.

This is why the leadership contract is important. By now you know what it means and what it entails. It all begins with holding yourself accountable as a leader. When you do, you commit to setting the pace for others as you strive to be the best leader you can be.

This means defining who you are as a leader, not solely as a technical expert. It means refusing to settle for mediocrity and no longer tolerating lame leadership in yourself and those around you.

Up to this point, you might have been a leader who just clicked Agree without truly understanding what you'd signed. Maybe you let the lure of a new title, new status, more money, and potential perks cloud your judgment. Maybe you were swept away by the opportunity and ended up underestimating what it takes to be effective. Whatever the situation, if you clicked Agree without truly understanding the four terms of the leadership contract, you can't be as effective as you need to be.

By now, you know that leadership is a decision you have to consciously make. You understand there are times when you have to pause, take a time-out, ...