The Good Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig offer a first look at the Healthy Accountability preview eBook launching May 22. They explain why the preview eBook was created, what readers can expect inside, including stories from CEOs, key research findings, and the new definition of Healthy Accountability, and how it sets the stage for the full book coming this fall. If you're curious about how real leaders are rethinking accountability to promote growth, clarity, and momentum, this episode is your guided introduction.

Just hours after the April 2025 Good Leadership Breakfast, Paul Batz sits down with Sarah Waite, Chief People Officer at Second Harvest Heartland, to reflect on what made the morning so impactful. With her CEO, Allison O'Toole, as the featured speaker, Sarah shares her personal takeaways, thoughts on the Moonshot Strategy, and how Healthy Accountability is showing up inside their organization. This conversation is a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when leaders lean into vulnerability, vision, and culture change and how goodness continues to grow from the inside out.

Accountability thrives when teams are clear, connected, and committed. In this episode, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig explore the “Teams Committed to Disciplined Follow-Through” element of the Pathway to Healthy Accountability.Drawing on original research from Good Leadership, they unpack three key drivers of healthy team accountability: shared commitments to invest in one another's success, clear roles and responsibilities, and consistent communication loops known as inspection cycles. Listen in for practical insights that reframes accountability as a shared strength—not a struggle.

Accountability in the workplace is often seen as elusive—something leaders want but struggle to foster. The accountability research from Good Leadership has uncovered a critical insight: shared accountability doesn't work. When everyone is responsible, no one truly is. In this episode, Kevin Sensenig and Paul Batz explore the element of the Pathway to Healthy Accountability, "Individuals Seek Accountability," and why individuals, not groups, must seek accountability for teams to thrive. The discussion breaks down three key drivers—ownership, impact, and growth—that help employees embrace accountability as a positive force rather than a punitive measure. The episode challenges workplace myths, introduces the One Pilot Metaphor, and provides insights into how leaders can cultivate a culture where accountability fuels success. Listen now to reframe accountability as an opportunity—not an obligation.

In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig explore a powerful leadership lesson: only one pilot lands the plane. When a billion-dollar company lost a game-changing opportunity due to unclear accountability, its CEO had a revelation—while responsibility can be shared, accountability must be clear. Paul and Kevin discuss how healthy accountability is proactive, modeled by leaders, and built into organizational systems to ensure success. Tune in to learn how to move from reactive blame to a culture where people take ownership and win together.

In this episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, hosts Paul Batz and JC Lippold recap the February 28, 2025, Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Kristi Fox, EVP and Chief Administrative Officer at Securian Financial. They discuss key moments from the event, including insights from the Good Leadership Healthy Accountability research, Kristi's leadership philosophy, and how she fosters accountability in her organization. Tune in for expert coaching perspectives, real-world leadership takeaways, and a conversation reinforcing why goodness pays.

Goodness pays, and healthy accountability is the key to helping teams thrive. In this episode, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig discuss groundbreaking research on accountability and why traditional models focused on rules and discipline are no longer effective. Instead, successful teams create environments where individuals take personal ownership, embrace team support, and deliver quality work on time. Learn how psychological safety, clear roles, and proactive communication drive accountability, and why linking accountability to personal growth transforms workplace performance. Tune in to discover how leaders can foster a culture where people win together.

In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz, Founder and CEO of Good Leadership, and senior coaching associate Kevin Sensenig discuss groundbreaking research on healthy accountability in the workplace. Based on over 150 leader interviews and insights from more than 4,000 survey respondents, the conversation explores how accountability impacts business results, employee engagement, and organizational culture. They address common misconceptions, why accountability is often seen as punitive, and how a proactive, team-oriented approach can drive success. Tune in to learn how leadership visibility, clear priorities, and consistent standards can transform accountability and help teams win together.

In this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig share key findings from groundbreaking research on Healthy Accountability, redefining it as a shared, growth-oriented concept rather than a top-down managerial responsibility. They explore how personal ownership, team support, and delivering quality work on time create a winning culture, emphasizing the role of senior leaders in modeling accountability and the importance of clear roles and growth opportunities. Packed with practical insights, this episode offers leaders actionable steps to foster a culture where accountability is collaborative, positive, and impactful.

In today's episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig reflect upon the Good Leadership Conference that occurred on November 22, 2024. It was a spectacular day of workshopping, learning, networking, and unveiling the results of the Healthy Accountability Research. Listen to Paul and Kevin talk about not only the programming, but about how the day felt to them after nearly a year of preparation and for some of the feedback heard from attendees in the room. Continue to follow this podcast as Paul and Kevin unpack the findings of the research more in depth in the coming weeks.

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recap the October 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Craig Warren, CEO of Washburn Center for Children in Minneapolis, MN. In this episode, hear from Craig about how his passion for ensuring that all families thrive and how healthy accountability influences Washburn's ability to reach as many children and families as possible. Paul and Kevin debrief the Success Habits that got Craig to the CEO position that he holds today, and share a special Goodness Pays moment that happened live in the room at a Good Leadership Breakfast. 

In today's episode of the Good Leadership Podcast, Chief Learning Officer, Kevin Sensenig, and Organizational Psychology Doctoral Intern, Matt Tappe, start to make sense of the research results from nearly 200 interviews and over 4000 surveys in the Accountability Research Project. They discuss things that have caught their attention, some things they anticipated, and other items that were surprising to them. While the full research findings won't be revealed until late November 2024, this will satisfy your current curiosity, and peak your interest to learn more.

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recap the September 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Ethan Casson, CEO of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx. In this episode, hear from Ethan about how his upbringing influenced the leader he is today, how having an infinite mindset helps him find the opportunity in everything, and why the "pack mentality" of work hard, smart, and together has gotten the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx organizations to where they are today. Not only winning on the court, but winning in business and in the Minneapolis community as well.

In today's episode, Paul Batz & Kevin Sensenig discuss an exciting milestone in the Accountability Research Project that has been reached. After completing nearly 200 qualitative interviews in 30+ organizations, the qualitative survey launched on August 19. This shift allows the research team to move from capturing personal stories to measuring these insights on a broader scale.

Today episode of the Good Leadership Podcast feature Charles Thompson, one of the fifteen Accountability Research Steering Team Members. If you've been following along, you'll know that CEO Paul Batz has had the chance to sit down with four steering team members to discuss how being a part of the research has influenced their thinking about the subject, and about their personal leadership. Charles is the Talent Development Director, VP at Old National Bank. Listen as Charles discusses both the proactive and reactive accountability that he sees within his organization, and how his personal leadership has been changing based on what he has learned through his project. 

Paul Batz, CEO of Good Leadership, is joined in today's podcast by Becca Hagen, Vice President of Talent at Securian Financial. Based in Minnesota, Securian has been providing insurance and retirement solutions for 140 years. Becca, with over 25 years in HR and a valued member of the Accountability Research Project steering team, shared her insights on creating a culture of healthy accountability in her organization. Becca's team has an important role to play in defining the culture required for better performance. Being a part of the steering team has ignited an excitement in her to introduce healthy accountability into Securian's culture. She's starting to notice small changes within herself as she interacts with her teams and employees across the organization differently. 

On today's episode, Good Leadership CEO, Paul Batz discusses healthy accountability with another one of the Accountability Research Steering Team members. Amy Cook, Global Talent Director with Reckitt, shares her valuable insights on the subject. Most people do not recognize the organization Reckitt by its name but know the organization by way of their product lines such as Lysol and Enfamil. In recent years, the world was faced with two different crises that leaned heavily on some of their products – the Covid-19 pandemic, and the infant formula crisis. In the interview, Amy touches on accountability in crisis, as well as what it looks like when you work for leaders who are good at holding their employees accountable in a healthy way, and how she believes her involvement in the Accountability Research Project has influenced her personal leadership.  

The Accountability Research Project is well underway. Good Leadership took the lead on coordinating the project, but the Steering Team of 15 executives from 15 companies across the U.S. was instrumental in shaping the project and kicking off the research. Darin Lynch, Founder and CEO of Irish Titan based in Minneapolis, MN is one of those steering team members. On today's podcast, Paul Batz interviews Darin Lynch about his experience as a part of this project, how it is changing his perspective on leadership in his organization, and what he is already doing differently to improve the accountability in his organization. 

The Spring 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast series was titled: Celebrating the Magic of Managers. In today's podcast, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig reflect on what they learned from the three speakers this spring around the importance of managers in their organization and how to best support those in this long-overlooked position. Good Leadership offers specific programming for managers that help create consistency in Teams of Teams environments, to help minimize the whip-lash employees feel when working within several teams within the organization. Learn more at goodleadership.com. 

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the May 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Kristine Fortman, CEO of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. In this episode, learn how she blended her love of science with a desire to uplift the voices of those leading her teams. She leads by honoring the differing and unique talents of each leader, adapting her leadership style to match the needs of each unique situation, and by honoring questions – both asking and answering – to make sure her teams are aligned. 

Today, Good Leadership's CEO, Paul Batz, shares a podcast in which he was the featured interview. The Learn-It-All Podcast is produced by Learnit, based in San Francisco. Learnit provides flexible learning solutions designed to empower organizations to thrive today and prepare for tomorrow. Good Leadership was introduced to Learnit through the Accountability Research Project, and Learnit CEO, Damon Lembi, asked Paul if he could interview him for his listeners. Once you've finished listening to today's podcast – don't forget to check out other episodes of The Learn-It-All Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube. 

Psychological safety is a hot topic in workplaces right now. By definition, psychological safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig reflect on an article published on neuroleadership.com called “Psychological Safety and Accountability: Three Insights From NLI's Conversation with Amy Edmondson”. Listen to their thoughts on the article, and how the topics of psychological safety and accountability intersect and how they can work with, or if used incorrectly - against, each other.

Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig use the data gathered from the Accountability Research Steering Team members to create a definition of accountability that feels accurate to what people are seeking in their workplaces today. Listen as they discuss the many definitions that contributed to the conversation, the key themes, and how Good Leadership will define accountability as a part of this project. If you are not familiar with 2024 Accountability Research Project, visit the episode that was released on November xx entitled “Exciting News”. 

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the April 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Jeff Augustin, Senior Vice President of Global Business Services for Merck & Co. In this episode, learn how understanding managers, both personally and professionally, is so integral in Jeff's global leadership. He leads his teams by thinking big, explaining both the business and the global “why” behind the work they do, and providing autonomy to his leaders after first aligning the team. 

Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig reflect on the meaningful and thought-provoking responses from the first set of interviews in the 2024 Accountability Research Project. Discovery Interviews are a process that Good Leadership uses in its work with clients to gather information anonymously and present it back to the interviewees to digest before important conversations. The same process was used with the Accountability Research Steering Team for their kickoff meeting on February 22. Listen as Paul and Kevin share impactful responses, themes, and why starting this way is important to the process. If you are not familiar with 2024 Accountability Research Project, visit the episode that was released on November 22 entitled “Exciting News”. 

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the February 2024 Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Rod Young, Chief Executive Officer at Delta Dental of Minnesota. In this episode, learn why team work is so integral in Rod's leadership, and how he leads his teams by listening for diverse perspectives, treating his employees like people first, and emphasizing the power of working in teams.

In mid-November, Good Leadership announced a new and exciting shared research project. On this episode of The Good Leadership Podcast, Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig share details about the Accountability Research Project which will focus on how organizations can create a healthy spirit of accountability in a collaborative teams of teams culture. For information on how you can be involved, email info@goodleadership.com.

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the November Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Archie Black, recently retired CEO of SPS Commerce in Minneapolis, MN. In this episode, Paul and Kevin reflect on how Archie has lead his team to years of growth and success - "winning" in their industry.

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the October Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Mai-Anh Tran, Associate Vice President of Philanthropic Services at the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. In this episode, learn how Mai-Anh leads by recognizing others, lifting up all voices at the table, and implementing processes that keep everyone on her team accountable to each other.

Join Paul Batz and JC Lippold on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recall the September Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Michele Havens, President of the West Region for Northern Trust. In this episode, learn how Michele leads with an artful balance of structural and relational integrity to aid in healthy tension conversations.

Join Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig on the Good Leadership Podcast as they recap the impactful May Good Leadership Breakfast, featuring Glen Gunderson, President and CEO of the YMCA of the North. Gain insights into Glen's remarkable efforts in building a strong culture of goodness within the community through his extensive work at the Y. Tune in to discover the power of fostering a culture of goodness.

Join the Good Leadership Podcast as Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig debrief the April Good Leadership Breakfast featuring Christine Geissler, Global SVP Human Resources of Reckitt. Learn about how Christine truly wins with a goodness culture drawing on the power of empathy.

Good Leadership recently launched its newest book: Good Leadership Is a Team Sport. Paul and Kevin talk about the early drafts of the book and how it came to the final product it is today. To purchase copies for your team, visit here.

Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, Friends, Fun, and Future. In this episode, Paul and Kevin discuss the Seven Fs, the concept of "blending", and how to make these concepts come to life both personally and professionally.

Why is common sense not common practice? Paul and Kevin discuss the central mission of Good Leadership and explain how goodness pays in the workplace.

After a brief hiatus, The Good Leadership Podcast is back! This week Paul and Kevin discuss taking time off (both planned and unplanned) and how role modeling time off can help both you and your team.

Trust is an outcome of how people behave and solve problems together. In this episode, Paul and Kevin discuss the importance for leaders to build trust with their teams, and some practical tips on how to start building that trust.

We are drawn to leaders who can make their ideas simple and compelling. Paul and Kevin discuss how you can measure the communication skills of a team and share success habits to improve communication throughout the entire organization.

What is the difference between a shared commitments culture and a ground rules culture? Kevin and Paul explore how a shared commitments culture in organizations allows teams to thrive together.

Lead with less stress and less fear by fostering an environment of care – both personally and professionally. Listen in as Paul and Kevin discuss how to build that in your teams and share how the Seven Fs are a good metric to measure by.Visit goodleadership.com/seven-fs to see if your wheel will roll.

We all know what disciplined follow through is and why it's important. But what happens when it doesn't happen? Paul and Kevin explore what happens when leaders don't do what they say they will.

As a leader, you make a lot of decisions. How much transparency is expected these days? Listen as Paul and Kevin discuss their thoughts on transparent decision making in the workplace.

What does it mean to have clear roles and responsibilities? You might think you know, but how can you be sure? Paul and Kevin define clear roles and responsibilities and share how you can transform your team by calling them out.

What's the difference between a compelling plan and a business plan? Paul and Kevin dive into what makes a compelling plan compelling, and why you should invest time into making one.

This isn't a science podcast, but epoxy theory is a relatively scientific concept. Paul and Kevin discuss why equal parts of relational capital and structural integrity create the strongest teams.

No more Minnesota Nice...Paul and Kevin discuss the concept of healthy tension and why it is vital for high-performing teams to master it.

Nothing significant happens alone. Paul and Kevin dive into why leadership is a plural concept and how to “shed the superhero cape” and lead a group.

Welcome to the start of The Good Leadership Podcast, hosted by Paul Batz and Kevin Sensenig. In this episode, they will discuss the story of a hospital executive who experienced the catalytic power of coaching teams instead of individuals.