Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture

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. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY: "Great leaders understand that talented people thrive in a culture where accountability is a support system for success. What makes this book different is that Greg Bustin connects the intellectual component of accountability to the heart and soul of an organization. If you're looking for new ways to drive accountability and improve individual and organizational performance, read this book." -- Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human "Powerful. Greg Bustin demonstrates with example after example that a culture where accountability is embraced and not feared gives savvy leaders a secret weapon." -- Bill Cobb, President and Chief Executive Officer, H&R Block "Greg Bustin introduces a new approach to accountability that can be a game-changer for leaders. As a CEO and a Vistage Chair, he is an authority on accountability, and his book is packed with new ideas, powerful exercises, and proven practices to improve performance." -- Leon Shapiro, Chief Executive Officer, Vistage International "Greg Bustin's insights and examples from leaders of the world's most admired companies on the topic of accountability are a treasure trove of best practices to help you and your team consistently deliver on your brand promise." -- Ashley Sheetz, Chief Marketing Officer, GameStop "Accountability is one of the most important mindsets in leadership. Greg Bustin understands it and shows how to translate his understanding into action." --Mike Rawlings, Mayor, City of Dallas; former President of Pizza Hut "Greg Bustin's thoughtful insights and real-world examples will equip leaders to achieve new levels of success. I'm a better leader for having read this book." -- Mark W. Sc hortman, Chairman, Coca-Cola Bottlers Sales & Services, LLC

Table of Contents:
PREFACE xi 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

About the Author :
GREG BUSTIN is a business and leadershipconsultant, an international speaker, and a Master Chair for Vistage International, the world's largest CEO membership organization. He writes a monthly bulletin sent to more than 5,000 executives globally and regularly speaks at events in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK. His perspective on leadership has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, the Dallas Morning News, and other major publications.