FRONTLINE FRIDAYS S2 Ep. 1: How to Drive Accountability without Breaking Your Team

Accountability isn’t just a hard conversation — it’s a skill every leader can learn.

April Sabral, founder of Ask April AI and former People leader at Starbucks, Gap, Banana Republic, and DAVIDsTEA, brings a fresh take on one of the toughest leadership challenges.

In this episode, she joins host Ron Thurston to break down her nine-step accountability framework, explain why high performers want accountability, and share a simple mindset reset exercise to stop burnout before it starts. Whether you’re leading a store team or managing senior leaders, this is a practical roadmap for making accountability clear, consistent, and shared.

Key insights:

(04:24) Why accountability isn’t conflict resolution — and why most leaders confuse the two
(10:06) April’s nine-step accountability wheel: from putting the right person in the right role to reassessing fit when things don’t work out
(13:26) The power of “walk me through your approach” as a simple test for clarity
(15:34) Why high performers want accountability, and how avoiding it can demotivate your best people
(26:34) How to signal whether you’re coaching, training, or directing — so your team always knows how to respond
(32:40) A mindset reset exercise you can use to reframe limiting beliefs into positive ones

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Presented by YOOBIC, the all-in-one AI-powered platform that helps retail and hospitality leaders connect, train, and empower their teams. Trusted by 350+ brands around the world to make frontline excellence their competitive advantage. Visit www.yoobic.com
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