Foreword

John Izzo’s Stepping Up is one of those books with a strong message that can benefit everyone who is open to it. John’s message, “Stepping up is seeing a need and deciding YOU are the right person to do something about it,” hits home at a time when the world needs people to do just that—step UP!

I work with organizations every day, and what I find is that very often there isn’t a lot of stepping up during or after a crisis. There is a lot of finger-pointing, blaming others, and passing the buck. It’s the CEO’s fault; it’s a team member’s fault; it’s the boss’s fault. After a crisis at home, the same rule applies. Blame it on the spouse, the dog, the kids, the sprinklers. Very few people point the finger of responsibility at themselves. People are more inclined to pass the buck than they are to take responsibility.

The fact is, though, passing the buck doesn’t build your character or give you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. In a nutshell, it doesn’t make you rich. This behavioral flaw is as significant a negative attribute as the positive qualities of brainpower, courage, and resourcefulness. A leader who cannot shoulder the blame is not someone people will follow or trust. They will, however, question the leader’s character, dependability, and loyalty, and they will hold back their loyalty from him or her.

You know people who accept responsibility—aren’t they great to be around? These people do things like help more and judge less. They try to get people to focus on a future they can influence, not a past they cannot change. They help others take responsibility for their own behavior. They reflect on past events and ask, “What can we learn from that?” They don’t, and they encourage others not to, speak when angry or out of control. And they think before they speak, asking themselves, “Will this comment help?”

In this book you will read about many people and groups who do all of these things, how they navigate taking responsibility and grow a culture where this is the norm. You can also learn to be more like them if you’re not already. Stepping Up is a wonderful testament to those individuals and teams who do step up! I encourage you to read it and enjoy it—and if you change a little bit because of it, that is OK too.

Life is good.

Marshall Goldsmith

Executive coach and author
of the New York Times bestsellers
MOJO and What Got You Here
Won’t Get You There