Many leaders have a blind spot when it comes to their own level of accountability. Here’s how to know if you’re seeing clearly…
Time for a GUT-CHECK…
The majority of leaders I coach believe in the importance of being accountable—
being accountable themselves, and
holding others accountable
And most believe they do this very well…
The reality is, they do it well enough that they’ve gotten results…
and they’ve kept climbing the career ladder because of it.
BUT. Career success does NOT = accountability.
And there are levels of success you can’t reach without a higher level of accountability.
Since accountability can be a blind spot for leaders, how can they know when they’ve stepped OUT of accountability?
It’s all about paying attention to what you’re thinking or saying.
For example:
- It’s this generation of workers we’re dealing with…
- There’s not enough hours in the day…
- Corporate keeps changing priorities…
- We don’t have the budget…
- The boss says we have to do it this way…
- My employees aren’t engaged…
- I didn’t get the email…
- *Any department* didn’t give me the information…
- We’re having supply chain issues…
- This is a result of Covid…
- I didn’t have time…
- HR is sending us unqualified employees…
Do these sound familiar?
These are frustrations, irritations, barriers to success—and many of them may be true…
But if we let them remain as they are, or keep repeating them, then we are letting them become EXCUSES.
And we are not being 100% accountable.
And if we as leaders do this, we are giving our employees permission to do the same.
As leaders, we are called to a higher standard…
a standard of
- no excuses
- no blaming
- no whining
- no complaining
We must pay attention to what frustrates, stresses, or triggers us—as these are often clues to the areas where we can be more accountable for creating a positive outcome.
What are some ways that YOU as a leader can step into 100% accountability?