Action 8: Accountability

The eighth action that challenges business leaders is Accountability.

I recently spoke with a leader who’s biggest grievance was that the people around him lacked accountability.

I can relate. We all want others around us to be accountable. But that begs the question what actually leads to accountability? Is it grit and determination? Is it freedom from the fear of being judged, or feeling wrong? Is it the absence of consequences when failure arises? Is it learning to be disciplined?

Here’s the deal: as a leader, if you want others to be more accountable, then you need to create the environment that produces accountability. It might seem unfair, but if you have the expectation of accountability, then be the kind of leader that sets the stage for it to happen. Here are a six things you can do:

Set clear expectations. If the people you lead don’t know what is expected of them, they will never fulfill your idea of what it means to “be accountable.” So, tell them. Setting clear (i.e. specific, not general) expectations helps others know what you want.

Example/Model behavior. Your team watches you. If you are unaccountable, they will be unaccountable. We often forget that people seek leaders because leaders give them a frame of reference for how to act. So model what you expect.

Provide clear, regular, and impactful feedback. Positive feedback is information that reinforces behavior. It acts like fuel in the accountability engine. Routine positive feedback keeps the engine running smooth. Constructive feedback is like an alert on your dash. When necessary, constructive feedback reminds your people that a tune up is necessary.

Create shared (team) goals. Shared goals provide a culture of accountability. When the whole team is working on the same goal, accountability is built into peer relationships, as much as it is engrained in a leader-worker relationship. Accountability becomes woven into the fabric of your workplace.

Monitor progress (not just results). Check-ins - even the routine, seemingly non-impactful ones - are important. If the only time you check in with your people is to redirect, or critique, then the only interactions they have with you are negative. Routine, regular one-to-ones are often MORE important, because they define your relationship. When constructive feedback is necessary, it will be obvious that something must change, and must easier to deal with.

Foster trust. An environment of trust is perhaps the greatest indicator of whether your organization has the capacity to grow accountability. If your work environment is trust-worthy, people will be prepared to receive feedback, they will level up their sense of team togetherness and their sense of accountability to others.

Most of the time when I hear a leader complain about poor accountability, the solution can be found in one of these six profound leadership tactics. Accountability won't happen just because you want it to. It happens when you work for it. That's the job of a leader.

That puts a lot of pressure on you, I know…but you’re here to lead. Profoundly.

Go. Be. Profound.

G