What do you think?
Rate this book
The Leadership Contract - The Fine Print to Becoming an Accountable Leader
Step up, get tough, and commit to your decision to lead The Leadership Contract provides the manual that leaders around the world need. With only seven percent of employees feeling confident in senior leadership, the problem is evident: disappointing, and often disgraceful leaders. Employees deserve better than that; organizations need better than that--and this book provides a robust framework for stepping up and making the decision to lead. This new third edition has been updated, featuring a new foreword by Adecco CEO Alain Dehaze, new findings from the Global Leadership Accountability Study, and more insights to help you chart your own path to build strong leadership accountability at a personal and organizational level.
Great leadership doesn't happen by accident. It's more than just being in charge; it's a decision, an obligation and potentially your legacy. Mediocre is no longer good enough--in today's business climate, organizations need stellar leadership. If you're not exceptional, step up or step aside -- this book helps you toughen up and put your commitment to great leadership in writing for yourself as much as everyone else.
Learn how a leadership contract is vital for truly accountable leadership Discover the mindset and practices needed to be a deliberate and decisive leader Communicate to inspire, motivate, and drive high performance Become the leader your organization needs today and into the future Leadership is not a birthright, not an accident, and not for everyone. It is the only differentiator between an organization's success and failure, and it has been entrusted to you. Can you step up to the challenge? Can you execute strategy while inspiring peak performance, nurturing top talent, managing complexity, creating value, conquering uncertainty, and yes, developing new leaders? Put your name on the line--literally--by drawing up a contract for leadership accountability. The Leadership Contract provides a proven and practical framework used by companies and leaders around the world. Join them and take your leadership to next level.
Great leadership doesn't happen by accident. It's more than just being in charge; it's a decision, an obligation and potentially your legacy. Mediocre is no longer good enough--in today's business climate, organizations need stellar leadership. If you're not exceptional, step up or step aside -- this book helps you toughen up and put your commitment to great leadership in writing for yourself as much as everyone else.
Learn how a leadership contract is vital for truly accountable leadership Discover the mindset and practices needed to be a deliberate and decisive leader Communicate to inspire, motivate, and drive high performance Become the leader your organization needs today and into the future Leadership is not a birthright, not an accident, and not for everyone. It is the only differentiator between an organization's success and failure, and it has been entrusted to you. Can you step up to the challenge? Can you execute strategy while inspiring peak performance, nurturing top talent, managing complexity, creating value, conquering uncertainty, and yes, developing new leaders? Put your name on the line--literally--by drawing up a contract for leadership accountability. The Leadership Contract provides a proven and practical framework used by companies and leaders around the world. Join them and take your leadership to next level.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2016
47 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 27, 2016
Vince Molinaro takes you through the leadership experience providing direction for planning, implementing, and motivating. The Leadership Contract (TLC) best exemplifies the spirit of leaders who don’t give up or give in. They instead give until it hurts and until they get results.
Getting the right balance between people and tasks isn’t easy; it takes hard work. You see the tough challenges the author is faced with before he gets the edge. Molinaro deals with unenthusiastic team members and colleagues bidding their time in propped up cushy job positions trying not to “rock the boat.” Vince recognizes these kinds of weaknesses and becomes discouraged. And just when you think he’s about to throw in the towel he gets the lowdown of how the business world works from a senior manager he admires. Her cajoling is the swift kick in the pants (SKIP) he needs to get him back to driving organizational change for accelerating business improvement.
You’ll find useful information that shows you how collaborating across silos to do what’s best for your customer and organization does a company good. You’ll also find helpful techniques that you could adapt your approach to the role you want to inhabit. You ultimately define Six Sigma leadership skills that create the roadmap that paves a path for future leaders.
The book inspires the reader to dream, learn, do and become more. It takes you beyond being someone who just oversees subordinates and makes sure that they do what they’re told. The reader gets a broader perspective of how to make greater impact in his or her organization. In essence you become the leader who rolls up your sleeves and get stuff done.
What came to mind after completing the book was the distinguished leader Nelson Mandela who said “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur.” You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
All that being said, I highly recommend The Leadership Contract for the reader who desires to make the decision to become an extraordinary leader!
Getting the right balance between people and tasks isn’t easy; it takes hard work. You see the tough challenges the author is faced with before he gets the edge. Molinaro deals with unenthusiastic team members and colleagues bidding their time in propped up cushy job positions trying not to “rock the boat.” Vince recognizes these kinds of weaknesses and becomes discouraged. And just when you think he’s about to throw in the towel he gets the lowdown of how the business world works from a senior manager he admires. Her cajoling is the swift kick in the pants (SKIP) he needs to get him back to driving organizational change for accelerating business improvement.
You’ll find useful information that shows you how collaborating across silos to do what’s best for your customer and organization does a company good. You’ll also find helpful techniques that you could adapt your approach to the role you want to inhabit. You ultimately define Six Sigma leadership skills that create the roadmap that paves a path for future leaders.
The book inspires the reader to dream, learn, do and become more. It takes you beyond being someone who just oversees subordinates and makes sure that they do what they’re told. The reader gets a broader perspective of how to make greater impact in his or her organization. In essence you become the leader who rolls up your sleeves and get stuff done.
What came to mind after completing the book was the distinguished leader Nelson Mandela who said “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur.” You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
All that being said, I highly recommend The Leadership Contract for the reader who desires to make the decision to become an extraordinary leader!
August 13, 2013
Highly recommend this book to anyone recently promoted or is on the fast track to a leadership position in their organization. I’ve worked in HR for nearly 23 years and it’s about time we had this conversation. It’s great to be finally having these tough conversations about what it means to lead, and what it means to be accountable for the actions we take as leaders in our organization.
October 11, 2017
Really hard hitting and pragmatic book which centers on leadership accountability. Vince does not mince words and is ready to step up as someone who truly understands how accountable leaders need to lead and behave. On the better books I have read this year
September 1, 2020
Transformador, mas podia ser menos repetitivo.
August 8, 2013
Some decent structure and thought provoking statements, but mostly fluff.
May 10, 2024
The leadership contract talks about leadership being a choice and a decision that you make. This book asks you to make a contract of accountability for your own betterment and for those you serve.
Vince asks you to look deep into yourself and decide if you're ready to actually lead. Lead through the complexity, inspire and motivate your team through the ups and downs, nurturing top talent, inspiring top performance and driving value for all. Are you ready to step up to the plate?
Vince asks you to look deep into yourself and decide if you're ready to actually lead. Lead through the complexity, inspire and motivate your team through the ups and downs, nurturing top talent, inspiring top performance and driving value for all. Are you ready to step up to the plate?
November 5, 2019
Fantastic book - I just wish I had read it before my first job as a front line manager (which I should have refused at that time, by the way). It really brings up the distinction between being a manager and a technical, individual worker to surface.
April 3, 2025
Definitely worth reading when you first start a leadership position. Also some good reminders if you have been in a leadership position for awhile or have been working for a dysfunctional organization.
June 30, 2017
Great focused book on skills to becoming a great leader. Aimed at business, but applicable to parenting, teaching and other areas.
January 14, 2019
A clear explanation of why we should expect more of leaders, and what to expect as one moves up into more senior leadership roles.
March 16, 2021
Great approach from Vince on what a true leader is. I personally loved the first topic: Leadership is a decision. it is your decision to lead.
Very well written and prepared.
Very well written and prepared.
January 25, 2019
I liked this book overall, but like a lot of these leadership development books, it was probably longer than it needed to be.
April 1, 2016
Despite pervasive agreement that leadership skills and attitudes are critical to success in businesses and organizations, and despite the millions spent on professional development, leadership is still in trouble.
Vince Molinaro begins the second edition of his book with some of the most outrageous examples out there, e.g., a CEO was ousted after a video of him dancing naked in front of his employees was leaked.
As offensive as that example is, worse damage is done every day by senior executives, managers, and supervisors who get results through fear, intimidation, or outright bullying, not to mention lying, cheating, and stealing.
Then there's the slightly more benign group of lazy and/or incompetent leaders who use blaming and turf-building to make their numbers.
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely any of them would pick up this book, or any book on this subject.
And if you work every day with anyone even remotely like them, most of your daily life is a misery.
Depressing, isn't it?
That said, there are many more good people out there in leadership positions struggling to get things done and not to do harm in the process. Some may have gone through leadership development, but weren't able to use what they learned back on the job because it's a foreign language to those around them.
And there are others who have never had training in the people skills needed to be successful in an organization.
Molinaro has written this book for the latter two groups and others like them who genuinely want something better.
The most important point he makes is that leadership is a decision. (This falls under the first term of the Leadership Contract.)
There are Big D and small d decisions. The former type occurs when you are told you have potential and then when you move up each step to a idea and different scope of responsibility.
Small d decisions occur in situations you find yourself in regularly, such as how you handle disagreements, whether you act consistent with corporate values, or what you do if you see a project going off its rails.
He also notes that not deciding is a decision too.
He uses the concept of a contract--informal in this case, but still meaningful--to define the critical leadership skills and extract a promise to yourself and others to take responsibility for becoming a better leader. And to call out others --in a professional manner-- who are not living up to their end of the bargain.
The book lays out:
- The four terms of the leadership contract
- The five core obligations of leadership
- The 10 ways leaders make the hard work harder
- Four types of leadership cultures (the last one he discusses is the preferred type)
- The four turning points of leadership
Chapters 7 and 11 provide some specific ideas on how to go about using such a contract and inviting others to do so. Of course, the most effective method is senior leadership starting the process with themselves.
On the book's web site, theleadershipcontract.com, Molinaro provides a workbook for individuals to start their own journey.
I recommend the book as a source of hope if you find yourself in a less than healthy culture and want ideas on what a healthy one would look like. Molinaro encourages you to do all you can to live up to your own contract, no matter the culture around you. A tall order, to be sure.
If you ultimately must leave because you've reached your limits, it gives you good ideas of what to look for in your next company.
For leaders in positions of responsibility, the book gives you several ways to look at your organization to diagnose where the problems are and start to figure out a path forward.
The book should also be mandatory reading for the boards of directors, trustees, and other groups to whom CEOs and executive directors report. Maybe then directors will do a better job living up to their own role for those organizations.
Vince Molinaro begins the second edition of his book with some of the most outrageous examples out there, e.g., a CEO was ousted after a video of him dancing naked in front of his employees was leaked.
As offensive as that example is, worse damage is done every day by senior executives, managers, and supervisors who get results through fear, intimidation, or outright bullying, not to mention lying, cheating, and stealing.
Then there's the slightly more benign group of lazy and/or incompetent leaders who use blaming and turf-building to make their numbers.
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely any of them would pick up this book, or any book on this subject.
And if you work every day with anyone even remotely like them, most of your daily life is a misery.
Depressing, isn't it?
That said, there are many more good people out there in leadership positions struggling to get things done and not to do harm in the process. Some may have gone through leadership development, but weren't able to use what they learned back on the job because it's a foreign language to those around them.
And there are others who have never had training in the people skills needed to be successful in an organization.
Molinaro has written this book for the latter two groups and others like them who genuinely want something better.
The most important point he makes is that leadership is a decision. (This falls under the first term of the Leadership Contract.)
There are Big D and small d decisions. The former type occurs when you are told you have potential and then when you move up each step to a idea and different scope of responsibility.
Small d decisions occur in situations you find yourself in regularly, such as how you handle disagreements, whether you act consistent with corporate values, or what you do if you see a project going off its rails.
He also notes that not deciding is a decision too.
He uses the concept of a contract--informal in this case, but still meaningful--to define the critical leadership skills and extract a promise to yourself and others to take responsibility for becoming a better leader. And to call out others --in a professional manner-- who are not living up to their end of the bargain.
The book lays out:
- The four terms of the leadership contract
- The five core obligations of leadership
- The 10 ways leaders make the hard work harder
- Four types of leadership cultures (the last one he discusses is the preferred type)
- The four turning points of leadership
Chapters 7 and 11 provide some specific ideas on how to go about using such a contract and inviting others to do so. Of course, the most effective method is senior leadership starting the process with themselves.
On the book's web site, theleadershipcontract.com, Molinaro provides a workbook for individuals to start their own journey.
I recommend the book as a source of hope if you find yourself in a less than healthy culture and want ideas on what a healthy one would look like. Molinaro encourages you to do all you can to live up to your own contract, no matter the culture around you. A tall order, to be sure.
If you ultimately must leave because you've reached your limits, it gives you good ideas of what to look for in your next company.
For leaders in positions of responsibility, the book gives you several ways to look at your organization to diagnose where the problems are and start to figure out a path forward.
The book should also be mandatory reading for the boards of directors, trustees, and other groups to whom CEOs and executive directors report. Maybe then directors will do a better job living up to their own role for those organizations.
June 4, 2014
If you are a leader, much is resting on your shoulders. This book can help you to deeply reflect upon and critique your motivations, goals and behaviors, and will inspire you to never stop challenging yourself and to live up to your potential.
What is The Leadership Contract? It is a personal "commitment to redefine how you lead and become the leader for the future." It is comprised of four terms: Making the Decision to be a leader, Stepping Up to the obligation, Getting Tough to make the hard decisions, Connecting with the community. It demands clarity of purpose and constant mindfulness of core obligations that one has to self, to customers, to organization, to employees, and to community
Molinaro encourages and guides you to make your own leadership contract, sign it and share it with other leaders.
As a former Professor of Leadership Studies, I highly recommend this book. It is practical, with grounded questions and engaging, memorable anecdotes. No matter how many of this type of book we've read, we still need booster shots and periodic reviews to keep things fresh. This is a great one to use this quarter.
What is The Leadership Contract? It is a personal "commitment to redefine how you lead and become the leader for the future." It is comprised of four terms: Making the Decision to be a leader, Stepping Up to the obligation, Getting Tough to make the hard decisions, Connecting with the community. It demands clarity of purpose and constant mindfulness of core obligations that one has to self, to customers, to organization, to employees, and to community
Molinaro encourages and guides you to make your own leadership contract, sign it and share it with other leaders.
As a former Professor of Leadership Studies, I highly recommend this book. It is practical, with grounded questions and engaging, memorable anecdotes. No matter how many of this type of book we've read, we still need booster shots and periodic reviews to keep things fresh. This is a great one to use this quarter.
February 18, 2016
Probably my least favorite of the three books on leadership so far, though it did end up a little better as I read on. On one hand it seemed like it was for people thinking about a leadership role and weeding out those who don't want it or can't cut it (and maybe that's part of the purpose?). On the other it seemed to be asking current leaders if they really should be in their positions. Another book that could have used a little more editing (that or I'm really good at finding the errors). I found most of the examples given to be either very short and uninformative or just not exciting, and the few techniques given not very helpful. The "contract" itself seems very basic or obvious, but I guess we/people do need reminders sometimes...
June 4, 2017
My wife recently joined the management ranks of her organization and was given a copy of this book to read. I browsed through it one evening and opted to read it in its entirety as some of the management concepts contained within were intriguing.
In my personal career I've worked for middle and senior managers that ranged from abysmally poor to truly inspiring. Reading the book has given me a greater understanding on why these leaders either succeeded or failed in their approach to management.
A good read for anyone who is a leader, aspires to be one or someone who simply wants to understand managers better. I know I do now after having read the book.
In my personal career I've worked for middle and senior managers that ranged from abysmally poor to truly inspiring. Reading the book has given me a greater understanding on why these leaders either succeeded or failed in their approach to management.
A good read for anyone who is a leader, aspires to be one or someone who simply wants to understand managers better. I know I do now after having read the book.
October 5, 2013
Mr. Molinaro has captured the mood and tenor of leadership today. We are being let down by many of our leaders! He makes a clear case that too many of our leaders simply "click agree" to signing up for leadership roles, without considering what that really implies. His 4 "Terms" are just what is required of leaders today. In a age where accountability is lacking, he makes the case for leaders to step up to their accountability. This should be a must read for all leaders and those considering moving into a leadership role. A fantastic read!!
October 1, 2013
The Leadership Contract is a refreshing take on the whole leadership category. The stories are personal and raw and the advice feels more like it's coming from a mentor rather than from a stuffy leadership expert. I should warn you that it's a big ask. Since I read The Leadership Contract, I've felt like I have a tiny version of Dr. Vince on my shoulder as I make all those leadership decisions I make every day. Leading deliberately is tough, but worth it.
January 1, 2021
The ideas in this book are certainly very useful for leaders and aspiring leaders, however I found the book extremely repetitive and a little too general. Many ideas and phrases were reiterated not only in every chapter, but in every section of the chapter. The best part of the book are the last two chapters when we finally get to see how to implement the Leadership contract in our organizations.
October 2, 2013
This book was really eye-opening. It helped me think about my leadership aspirations. The best part about it is that it as a leader, you can read it and revisit it any part of your career and it will still be relevant and helpful. There were times in the book where I didn't have the answers to the questions Molinaro posed... looks like I have some more work to do.
September 27, 2013
Excellent book offering personal insights around leadership and what it takes when you sign on the dotted line. Stories and snippets weave in seamlessly to create a powerful backdrop for what it means to really embody the characteristics of a great leader.
September 27, 2013
Recommended for emerging leaders. Leadership Contract provides me excellent insight from a position where I am trying to rise through my organization. I'm leveraging the tips and language in conversations with my manager to differentiate myself.
March 6, 2016
It inspired me to be a better leader. I suggest this as an easy read for anyone in a leadership position, especially if you might find yourself a wee fatigued in your current role. I will keep it and read it again. Very useful call to step up.
December 14, 2017
Good book, some great foundational ideas about leadership and some good anecdotes. It's a quick read, and could probably have been quicker. Worth reading if you are a leader, and even more worth reading if you are managing, mentoring, and training leaders.
May 24, 2014
Some great reenforcing statements on leadership and it as a decision. Not a fan of the implementation suggestions but could benefit others.
August 3, 2015
Good concepts and an easy read. Would be stronger if this included more practical advice and steps to take toward becoming a stronger leader..
August 6, 2017
Great book
May 22, 2018
Strong work with a number of timely, poignant themes. All about putting it to practice.....
December 11, 2019
Good book for anyone interested in Leadership but there is a surprisingly high number of spelling mistakes
November 29, 2019
Credo che sia fondamentale studiare la Leadership con L maiuscola.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews