Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability

Like all epic fantasies in literature, The Wizard of Oz portrays a whimsical, yet poignant journey of self-discovery. We use this familiar story as an introductory metaphor in our book, The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability, because it aptly illustrates the crucial impact that personal accountability can have on achieving results.

The story’s four main characters reluctantly discover the Steps To Accountability^® as they journey from confinement and victimization to freedom and the ability to make things happen. Through no fault of their own, Dorothy and her companions—the scarecrow, the tin woodsman, and the lion—find themselves in circumstances beyond their control. Dorothy is sucked into a tornado that transports her to the Land of Oz. The scarecrow is consigned to a life in the fields because he has no brain and no options. The tin woodsman is immobilized by inaction because he lacks the heart and will to move. And the lion, robbed of his courage, has no ability to fulfill his destiny as king of the forest.

Feeling powerless and unable to alter their circumstances, they begin their journey down the yellow brick road in search of the Wizard, who, they are told, will solve all their problems and fulfill all their needs. However, after a dangerous and difficult journey to the Emerald City, their hopes are shattered when Dorothy’s dog Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal a powerless Wizard of Oz—a glorified fraud, who is pulling levers, blowing smoke, and entirely incapable of helping them. In the end, they realize that the power to achieve their desires was within them all along. By taking accountability, working together, and asking, ”What else can I do?” they are able to rise above their circumstances and achieve their objectives.

Moral of the story: accountability is something you do to yourself; it is a personal choice to rise above your circumstances and demonstrate the ownership necessary to achieve the results you really want. Most likely, there are circumstances that you are facing in your job that you must rise above in order to achieve the results you need. To do this, ask: “What else can I do?”, then go to work doing it.

To learn more about The Oz Principle and utilize the complimentary resources that can help you, your people, and your organization achieve greater results, go to www.partnersinleadership.com.