The Leadership Contract: The Fine Print to Becoming a Great Leader

CHAPTER 9

The Turning Points of Leadership

At this point, I'm assuming you've signed the leadership contract. If so, congratulations. I applaud you, and you need to give yourself a small pat on the back, too.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Now what?” It's a really good question, and the topic of this chapter. We are going to explore the implications of the leadership contract for you as a leader, whether you are an emerging leader, frontline leader, mid-level leader, or an executive. They're not that much different than those you agree when signing any other kind of contract. The act of signing is one step. The next is enacting the terms of the leadership contract in your own leadership role. Let's get to work.

If you are new to your leadership role or have been in it for a while, the ideas in this chapter will give you the clarity you need to make sure you are living up to the demands and expectations of your position.¹ Armed with these insights, you'll be able to make better personal leadership decisions and improve how you manage your leadership career and how you lead yourself during challenging times.

To help you get a clear sense of what the leadership contract will mean to you, we will return to the leadership turning points that I first introduced in Chapter 4.

Revisiting the Turning Points of Leadership

There is a quote that I've always liked from the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset. He said, “Tell me what you pay attention to, and I'll tell you who you are.” ...