Do your leaders think accountability is a dirty word?
Isn’t it time leaders started owning the many performance issues employees are experiencing?
Are leaders really powerless to do anything about their employee’s performance, as they claim?
Most people these days acquaint accountability with autocratic leadership. How this even happened is beyond comprehension, but it has. So let’s talk about accountability and why leaders need to step up and learn the skills needed to define, direct, correct, and confront performance so that organizations achieve their objectives and employees master their tasks.
While accountability is a word that gets thrown around a lot, it’s often followed by a litany of complaints by leaders about how employees just don’t want to work or can’t figure things out for themselves. But ask yourself: Are you truly being accountable for all aspects of your role as a leader? Are you blaming employees for not being accountable when you haven’t told them what they are doing wrong? Are you holding yourself accountable for this very important aspect of your role – managing the performance of employees to your expectations?
Imagine you’re a leader in a company, responsible for a complex project. Now, picture yourself not defining expectations for each employee’s roles and failing to give direction, leaving them to figure out what needs to be done. The result? Chaos and confusion. Now, further imagine observing them doing something wrong and not correcting them. Even worse, imagine confronting them and letting them hijack the conversation for an hour while they defensively tell you all of the awful things other employees are doing that are the real issue. Not having the skills to direct the conversation makes many leaders vow to never confront performance again.
While it’s true that correction and confrontation are uncomfortable, and no one is out to hurt anyone’s feelings, having difficult conversations from time to time is the responsibility of the leader. Providing constructive criticism doesn’t mean being harsh or insensitive. In fact, it’s more effective when delivered with empathy and understanding. It just requires building the skills.
Upon self-reflection, many leaders realize they aren’t holding themselves accountable for their leadership responsibilities. It’s tempting to point fingers and expect others to take ownership, but true leadership starts with self-accountability. Take a moment to reflect on your own actions, decisions, and communication. Do you know how to set expectations, provide performance correction, and communicate in a direct fashion? By examining your own behavior and taking responsibility for your actions, you become a more effective leader.
So, don’t shy away from accountability. Embrace it as an essential part of your leadership journey. Be willing to have those tough conversations when necessary, always with kindness and empathy. And most importantly, lead by example through your own actions and commitment to accountability. By doing so, you’ll foster a positive and accountable work environment, driving the growth and success of your team and organization.
Many leaders aren’t even aware of the performance-based leadership approaches and how they need to perform themselves to ensure productivity, goal alignment, and performance excellence. This process, defined in “So, You Think You Can Lead?” is a leadership must for anyone struggling with accountability. Once you have the system in place, continued leadership development in all of the competency areas will help you build a culture of accountability. Remember, the most effective leaders Define, Decide, Correct, and Confront performance regularly to get and keep employees in alignment with goals and on their own paths to mastering their performance.
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