Can Accountability Make Me A Better Leader?

“Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame.”

- Courtney Lynch

Accountability. Now that is a strong word. A fearful word for some. But is it really?

For a long time, I dreaded the word accountable because I associated it with confrontation. When it comes to my professional life, confrontation is not something I strive for (as most would agree with me). Accountability is so much more than that. Accountability is a fundamental tool for self-development, that can only positively impact our personal relationships & professional relationships.

ac·count·a·bil·i·ty - noun

the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility.

NOW, how can being accountable for your negative actions possibly make you a better leader, a better colleague, employee, husband/wife, father/mother, friend, etc? The way that I see it is, I would much rather someone fess up to their mistakes than ignore me or act as if nothing happened. It’s similar to “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed.” Accountability starts with reflection. What was the situation? What were the possible solutions and why did I not take that\those avenues?

“If nothing ever fails, nothing ever improves“

From my experience, the one thing I did not do was call myself out on my mistakes. Professionally or personally. However, I was excellent at holding OTHER people accountable but just not myself. Talk about calling the kettle black! I was worried about how I would be perceived by others.

Now, I can be honest in saying that I finally realized that I had become one of those unapologetic, unaccountable people that I laid in on. So what did I do? Well, I started being honest with myself and most importantly with the other person by expressing a genuine apology, listening to the other person’s perspective and respecting what decision or conclusion they had come to.

So what does this have to do with my professional life? If you are unable to admit when you were wrong or made a mistake, how are your colleagues going to respect you and how are your supervisors going to trust you (and vice versa)? This may sound corny but look at failure as a learning opportunity for the future. In turn, your colleagues and/or supervisors will equally learn from your mistakes. Is it fun no…however taking accountability can inspire, gain trust and ultimately help you become a better leader.