Does Leadership Improve with Accountability?

Picture of By Darren Finkelstein
By Darren Finkelstein

The Accountability Guy®

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Accountability is accepting responsibility for your action. It is taking ownership of results irrespective of whether you are rewarded or facing the consequences. It is the act ofnot playing the blame game.

Indeed, leadership improves with accountability. This is because you become more reliable and trustworthy. It helps you build credibility. Moreover, it enables you to lead by example and ensure your employees know what to do and when.

Further, accountable leadership improves your company’s productivity and minimisesexpensive errors.

To understand whether leadership improves with accountability, you need to understand the importance of accountability in leadership. Reading this blog will help you be aware of accountability in leadership.

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Importance of Accountability in Leadership

When you are in a leadership role, you need to be on top of your game. Your communication, work ethic, and actions should depict your role. One of the essential things to display is accountability.

Accountability is vital in leadership due to the following reasons:

It instils Confidence

As a leader, if you are accountable, it instils confidence in your work. Moreover, your team and top management officials are confident about your work. They will be able to trust your opinions and evaluations.

Further, being an accountable leader enables you to accurately evaluate your team’s performance. You’ll be able to identify their weakness and strengths correctly and guide them appropriately.

Accountability in Leaders Boosts Productivity

If you are an accountable leader, you save time. Additionally, you boost the productivity of your team. This is because when you are accountable, you set SMART goals and work towards them.

You avoid distractions and ensure you stay on track when you hold yourself accountable. Moreover, accountability as a leader helps you lead by example and prevent ineffective behaviour from your team.

It Inspires others to be accountable

Accountability in a leader inspires your team to be accountable.

 When you are accountable, you take responsibility for your actions. Automatically, your team follows suit. They will know that being accountable offers many benefits and improves work.

Further, accountability in leadership means you provide your team with weekly, quarterly, monthly, and annual feedback. This helps your team know their performance and what to improve, helping them boost their accountability.

If you are An Accountable Leader, You're Trustworthy

Displaying accountability as a leader builds trustworthiness and credibility. When you are accountable, you avoid playing the blame game. You take ownership of your actions and your team’s actions. When you do that, you increase your credibility and trustworthiness.

Further, your team feels more confident in taking up responsibilities when you are an accountable leader. Furthermore, accountability as a leader shows your commitment toward organisational, personal, and team goals.

It increases your credibility and the organisation’s credibility when leadership displays accountability.

Accountable Leadership Minimises Costly Errors

Being accountable as a leader helps you minimise costly errors. Leaders that are accountable own up to their mistakes immediately and work to correct the errors. Moreover, when there is no blame game, and there is a straightforward process, the scope for mistakes is reduced.

Further, accountable leaders can innovate and solve problems with clear and creative thinking. They can admit errors and quickly move forward to fix them.

 In fact, they can find solutions to fix problems before problems occur and save money for the organisation.

Accountability will Make you A Better Leader

Accountability makes you a better leader because you are responsible. Moreover, it makes you own your actions and your team’s actions. Further, accountability eliminates distractions and ineffectiveness.

When you are accountable, you have SMART goals, a to-do list, proper delegation, and tell someone about your actions. So, you become a good leader as you evaluate task progress, team performance, and results.

You also receive and give feedback when you are accountable, enabling you to improve your team performance.

 

What Can Lack Of Accountability in Leaders Do?

When there is a lack of accountability, several things occur:

  • There is mistrust
  • Lack of communication exists
  • Productivity drops down
  • Organisation loses credibility
  • Turnover rate increases
  • There is no feedback or improvements
  • Everyone blames each other
  • Company morale is low
  • There is inefficiency, and employees are not motivated

Endnotes

A leadership position in a company entails several functions. Moreover, you need to lead by example and take responsibility for your actions, irrespective of getting rewards or facing the consequences.

As a leader, you need to ensure you don’t play the blame game. Also, you need to be clear in your communication and know your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses.

Accountability in leadership helps increase productivity, boosts accountability in the organisation, improves trustworthiness and internal relationships, and inspires confidence.