The OZ Principle

THE OZ PRINCIPLE: GETTING RESULTS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL
AND ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
While the metaphor of The Wizard of Oz receives a light treatment in The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual And Organizational Accountability, Partners In Leadership effectively uses this story as a powerful illustration to show the positive impact that personal accountability can have in the quest for results. Each of the four characters in the story unlocks the Steps To Accountability that must be taken in the journey from feeling victimized to being accountable and able to move forward and make progress.

In The Wizard of Oz, we read the story about Dorothy and her companions who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in circumstances beyond their control. Dorothy was suddenly ripped from her home by a tornado and transported, beyond her will, to the land of Oz. The scarecrow was consigned to a life in the fields because he had no brain and, therefore, no options.
The tin woodsman was frozen with inaction because he lacked the heart, and the will, to move. And, of course, the lion was robbed of his courage and ability to live the life he was destined to live!

This timeless story brings together each of these seemingly helpless characters, all of whom felt victimized by their shortcomings and circumstances. Feeling powerless and unable to change their situations, they set off on their journey down the yellow brick road to the land of Oz in the hopes of finding “the wizard” who will solve all of their problems for them.

However, upon arriving in the Emerald City after a dangerous and difficult journey, little Toto drags back the curtain to reveal a powerless wizard who is pulling levers, blowing smoke, and who can do nothing for them. At the end of the story, we see that each of them eventually rises above their circumstances and shortcomings to achieve the results for what they were looking. Their success came not by the magic of some wizard who made their problems simply disappear, but by their working together and finding the power within themselves to achieve their objectives. We encourage you to read The Oz Principle as a follow-up activity to the workshop. While you will not find much more in the book about The Wizard Of Oz than you have already read, inside you will find useful aids in the form of self-tests, helpful lists, and powerful illustrations that will deepen your understanding of how to stay Above The Line and achieve the results you are seeking.

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