Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
Society now has a seat in the boardroom – what does that mean for leaders?
The age of transparency is giving society (including employees) a ring-side seat in the business world. There is low trust and high scrutiny of business leaders – yet little support on what it means to be accountable to society. Where are the boundaries of accountability today? And what changes do leaders need to make?
This isn't a book about how to look good or delegate doing good. It’s about how great business leaders own and navigate that challenging shift. If you believe the role of business in society goes beyond shareholder value, if you want to lead a company that understands its role in strengthening society, then this is for you.
Kate Adams has spent 25 years helping businesses to design and deliver on their accountability to society, and helping non-profits deliver social impact through partnership with business. She has consulted with some of the world’s biggest corporations, and held senior leadership positions in non-profits such as Comic Relief. She is a Non-Executive Director at ParalympicsGB and co-host of the podcast ‘Seat for Society’.
Kate Adams has a rare insider perspective on leadership across both the commercial and non-profit worlds. She has consulted with some of the world’s biggest corporations, and held senior leadership positions in non-profits such as Comic Relief. She is currently a Non-Executive Director at ParalympicsGB and co-host of the podcast ‘Seat for Society’.
Foreword by Martha Lane Fox xiii
Introduction 1
Part One: Shifting Expectations 7
1 A New Era for Chief Executives 9
2 Why Society Now Expects More from Business 27
3 What It Means for the Board of Directors 41
Part Two: The Accountability Ladder – Five Approaches Businesses Take 59
Introducing the Accountability Ladder 60
4 Reactive 67
5 Compliance- focused 77
6 Vigilant 87
7 Proactive Pioneers 97
8 DNA 109
Climbing the Ladder 121
Part Three: The WHO and HOW of Accountability 125
9 Why Stakeholders Matter to Accountability 127
10 Creating Your Accountability Map 141
11 Managing Conflict and Boundaries 161
Part Four: Scaling Accountability – The Role of Leadership 173
12 Leading Within a System 175
13 Leading Others 183
14 Leading Yourself 201
Conclusion: The Road Ahead – Accountability and AI 221
Appendix 227
Further Reading 231
Acknowledgements 235
Notes 239
Index 257
About the Author 263