When a CEO tells Linda Galindo he wants his team to be more accountable, her answer is blunt: “Then you’re the problem.”
Linda is an accountability speaker, executive coach, and president of Galindo Consulting. Her favorite mistake is not finishing college. As a junior, she left school for a radio reporting job and went on to an 11-year career in broadcast news. Later, when healthcare clients asked for her CV, the education section was blank. She explains how that gap stopped feeling like a liability and started looking like an advantage.
Linda defines personal accountability as ownership for results, good or bad, without fault, blame, or guilt. Too often, “holding people accountable” really means blaming them, and she explains why it should mean something else.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The “as long as” blind spot: “I’m 100% committed, as long as…”
- How rescuing, fixing, and saving underperformers punishes your best people
- Why leaders who want to be liked struggle to be effective
- Whether a nurse can be held accountable for staying silent when speaking up to a surgeon carries real risk — a point where Mark and Linda disagree
- A four-minute reflection exercise any team can use after a setback
For leaders who want ownership without fear, this conversation separates accountability from blame.
Full show notes and transcript: markgraban.com/mistake372