The Leadership Contract Field Guide

Chapter 1What Is Leadership Accountability?

Think of a time when you and a group of close friends went to a new restaurant for dinner. You had great expectations for your evening because you had heard that the restaurant was terrific.

Unfortunately, your experience was not at all terrific. It was average at best.

At the end of the meal, you and your friends were disappointed. In fact, many felt resentful for spending all that money. Now imagine it's a few days later and you are asked by another friend about your night out. You probably would say that the restaurant was mediocre at best. Not a great endorsement at all.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word “mediocre” as something of low quality, value, ability, or performance. Essentially, it's seen as something that is simply not good. That's exactly what that restaurant was: mediocre.

Most of us can cite other examples in life when we were left disappointed by a mediocre experience—a poor dining experience like I just described, a bad movie, or substandard service while shopping. These experiences leave us frustrated and, at times, even angry.

But you know what? We also have similar experiences in our working lives, especially when we have to work with leaders we describe as being mediocre.

Mediocre Leadership and Its Impact

One of the sad realities I've encountered as I speak with people from different parts of the world is how many of them share stories of working for bad bosses and mediocre leaders. It's astonishing how ...