How Healthy Accountability Lifts a Team

“It’s so important to have a resilient team that takes care of itself in the face of big challenges.” 

That insight came from Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, at last week’s Good Leadership Breakfast. More than 250 leaders gathered to hear from Allison, an extraordinary leader who has spent her career navigating public scrutiny, championing big missions, and leading with heart. 

Over the years, Allison has pivoted through multiple careers: from her early days as a prosecutor, to leading the state healthcare organization MN Sure through crisis, and now as the CEO of one of the most influential hunger relief organizations in the country.  

Accountability with the Moonshot Strategy: Cut Hunger in Half by 2030 

But what made this Breakfast so memorable wasn’t just Allison’s personal story, it was her explaining Second Harvest Heartland’s bold “moonshot strategy” to reduce hunger in the state of Minnesota by 2030. “It’s totally doable. We have the resources. We have the public will – it’s just going to take a much more active partnership than in the past,” she declared. Allison also shared how this bold new vision required new clarity around what it takes to build a culture of healthy accountability, especially when you’re aiming for something so bold.  

“It’s scary to publicly declare a huge, transformational goal,” she said. “But it’s also how we hold ourselves to a new level of accountability.” 

Allison’s Success Habits 

It was fun for me to engage with a good leader who knows that accountability isn’t something you push onto your team, it’s something you build with your team, together. If you care about one another, and you are passionate about your mission, healthy accountability is how the team operates. 

The people closest to Allison shared three success habits that define her leadership: 

1. Delegation signals trust. “You are more successful when you fan out and create more collaboration.”  

2. Authenticity and approachability builds buy-in. “You know, the truck drivers for Second Harvest come into my office anytime they need to talk to me about something. You’re always going to get the real deal with me.”  

3. Encourage kind but direct feedback to reduce the fear of repercussion. “Clear is kind. I encourage people to move on after feedback. We have no time for drama.”  

A Closer Look: Debrief with Chief People Officer Sarah Waite 

After the event, I sat down with Sarah Waite, Chief People Officer at Second Harvest Heartland, for a special podcast episode to unpack the themes from the Breakfast. 

Sarah shared what it’s like to work alongside Allison during a pivotal leadership transition, how the moonshot strategy continues to shape their culture, and the importance of leaning into healthy accountability as a daily practice. 

Her reflections offer a candid, behind-the-scenes view of how leadership evolves in real-time. If you haven’t had a chance to listen yet, you can catch the podcast here. 

Join the Spring Series 

There is one more Good Leadership Breakfast left in the spring series with the theme of the Pathway to Healthy Accountability. Don’t miss the opportunity to engage Ryan Poles, General Manager of the Chicago Bears.