Back in 2016, the Harvard Business Review published an article asking ‘Do you understand what accountability in leadership really means?’. The article made the point that accountability is often mentioned in the context of leadership without much thought being given to whether leaders truly understand that accountability is not about a one-off event and that being accountable leads to growth rather than punishment.
In this article, we explore what we really mean when we talk about accountability in leadership and provide ideas for creating a leadership culture that has accountability at its core.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is accountability in leadership?
- Why is accountability in leadership important?
- How to promote leadership accountability
What is Accountability in Leadership?
Typically, accountability is defined as the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions. In the context of leadership, employees expect managers, CEOs, and other stakeholders to take ownership of their mistakes, fulfill their commitments, and accept the outcomes of their decisions. For example, workplace accountability in leadership might involve a manager admitting their shortcomings in a failed project due to not providing sufficient resources.
Why is Accountability in Leadership Important?
A good leader demonstrates accountability on a regular consistent basis and understands that this approach is essential to business success for the following reasons:
Drives Performance
When leaders acknowledge and demonstrate what they have learned from their mistakes, their actions help to create a culture where employees are willing to try new approaches, review what worked and what didn’t, and implement corrective actions. By learning from experience and looking for new solutions, organisations are more likely to perform better and grow.
Creates a Collaborative Environment
When a team is led by someone willing to accept their mistakes, show how they have learnt from them and take responsibility for the outcome, employees are empowered to communicate with each other about issues they are facing and to work out solutions together. Accountable leadership encourages individual employees to take ownership of their individual areas as part of the wider team’s success.
Improves Motivation
A culture where leaders are accountable for their work and actions increases employee engagement and motivation. When a leader actively acknowledges what they are doing themselves and the impact of constructive feedback on both their individual contribution and the overall success of a project, they bring attention to the progress that is made rather than the overall outcome. Understanding that you are making progress is one of the most powerful motivators: progress drives people to want to make more progress.
Builds Trust
Leaders who hold themselves and others to clear standards build trust because everyone knows they can be relied on to act with integrity and employees know what is expected of them. With trust in place, it is easier for organisations to weather crises because leaders of the organisation has successfully created a positive work environment. It ensures the team trusts and believes in their leaders regardless of the difficulties they face.
Enables Success Longer Term
Accountable leaders are transparent with their employees about their objectives and take ownership of their role in meeting the organisation’s wider strategic goals. Being open about their own goals also encourages leaders to regularly evaluate their position, learning from experience and changing tack to find solutions. This thoughtful approach to decision-making can lead to a more sustainable strategy for the business in the long term. A culture that avoids the blame game can encourage top talent to remain with the team.
How To Promote Leadership Accountability
Promoting accountability in leadership requires a long-term investment in the company’s culture. The following suggestions are different approaches companies can use to improve accountability in team members and leaders:
Invest in Leadership Development Programmes
Great leaders understand that training and development programmes, including individual coaching as required, can be an effective tool for helping managers learn a new way of leading their teams. For some people, accepting responsibility, having hard conversations, and demonstrating that they are accountable are new skills that need time and support to develop.
Set Clear Goals & Expectations
When teams work together to create shared, achievable and measurable objectives, it becomes easier for everyone in the team to be held accountable for their contribution. Not only does everyone understand what each other is trying to achieve, shared goals allow the team to have an open dialogue about progress, speak candidly about mistakes and work together to find solutions. Goals help team members take personal responsibility and encourage leaders to empower employees to take responsibility for their own actions.
Setting clear expectations is also essential to accountable leadership as it gives the organisation and specific teams within it a framework within which to work. A consistent approach helps accountability because people feel secure and confident knowing what is expected of them.
Follow-Up and Follow Through
Accountable leaders have regular check-ins with their staff where everyone has a voice to discuss what is working and what isn’t. By following up with team members, effective leaders model accountability: knowing that someone will pay attention to what you are doing increases the chance of someone taking full responsibility for a task. Likewise, if a leader says they are going to do something, they need to follow through with their promise to demonstrate that they are also taking ownership of their tasks.
Work on Effective Communication
Accountable leaders focus on ensuring that their communication is effective because accountability requires that people understand what is going on and what is required of them. Effective communication involves a mixture of verbal and written methods, and paying attention to body language and active listening in face-to-face exchanges. By understanding the messages your body is communicating and using tactics to ensure you can hear what people are communicating to you, it is possible to improve the understanding between leaders and their teams.
Effective communication helps leaders be transparent about challenges, make team goals, provide a rationale for decisions, and have hard conversations, which form the bedrock of accountability in leadership.
Make Feedback an Integral Part of the Company Culture
Accountable leaders ask for feedback, listen to what is shared with them, and provide ongoing feedback to employees. Making feedback integral to the company culture is key to accountability as it sets a standard where everyone is willing to share and learn from their mistakes and successes. When leaders actively provide feedback and demonstrate that they use feedback as a positive force, it demonstrates to others how to deal with challenges.
One approach that many companies have adopted is to introduce a ‘growth mindset‘, the idea pioneered by Carol Dweck that success comes from the effort you put in and how you respond to feedback.
Celebrate Achievements & Establishing Consequences
Celebrating achievements plays a significant role in accountable leadership as it allows individuals to feel pride in their work, establishing a sense of ownership and responsibility that is key to accountability. Equally, having systems in place to deal with issues when they arise helps employees learn that there are consequences if they don’t do what is expected, teaching them that they will be held accountable for their actions.
