Accountability is one of the most important qualities an effective leader should possess. It is not just about managing people instead it is about taking responsibility for yourself and monitoring your team members actions and results. Accountable leaders take ownership of their commitments and ensure they get it executed. At times, situations arise where a leader might face a challenge in fulfilling the committed task, what matters at that moment is taking the responsibility and being accountable. Here are a few pointers highlighting accountability and leadership.
Lead by example: “Effective leaders lead by example, with honesty, confidence and compassion, intelligence and humor! Ineffective leaders merely mislead themselves” – Sharon Rhea Ford.
A Team follows their leader hence it is essential for the leader to act wisely and lead by example. If your actions are right, only then the team members tend to showcase similar behavior. A leader must be clear, unbiased, and dedicated towards their team members. This is the way a leader can empower and liberate his team.
Analyze facts and work on them: A leader must spot issues and then work on correcting them. If a leader often hears complaints from the team about no one taking ownership, it directly questions poor leadership and credibility. This situation must be carefully observed and immediate actions must be taken to improvise the situation. It is a leader’s responsibility to analyze situations, monitor tasks and improve skills of his team. ‘Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result” – Bob Proctor.
Inculcate a sense of belongingness: Everyone loves the feeling of belongingness as it brings the team together and creates a bond. An accountable leader never works in silos, they encourage team work and everybody’s participation. This creates a sense of responsibility and ensures that every individual contributes towards the end objective. A great leader gives opportunities and generates a feeling of pride and accomplishment within the team. It is rightly said that nothing can break emotional connection.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
By Vrutika Dawda, Director, IdeateLabs