Accountability should start at the top, setting an example.

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Many years ago, I had a client who was very pleased with the warehouse manager.  He was on the job every day and could be trusted to value the company.  During one of my follow up visits, the owner told me she was preparing to terminate him because “he is not good for the position any longer”.   I pointed out to her how during my previous visits she often praised the job he was doing and considered him to be a key employee.

She agreed but no matter he had to go.  I asked her if I could interview him to determine the cause for his changed behavior.  When I did, he told me about the behavior the manager was using which was the very behavior she told him and other employees she disliked the most and would not tolerated it from anyone.

I reported the interview results to the owner who reluctantly agreed that what she had done was what she stated she would not tolerate from others.  I convened a meeting between the two of them, and true to the manger’s character, he was forthright in presenting his case, and the owner agreed with him and did not terminate him. 

 Personal accountability is a powerful trait for anyone to have.  It is not a trait many people value because they may not have been taught how to develop it and the value it brings to them and others around them.  Leaders benefit from having the capacity for being personally accountable.  When a leader admits to a mistake the non-verbal message to those reporting to him or her is one of relief that the person is capable of making a mistake – he or she is not above being like me.

Businesses that start small and become successful will require additional people to keep it growing.  The more business a company does the more people it will take to keep it growing.  However, when the leaders of that business do not accept responsibility for their actions the people working for them will lose confidence and trust in ownership.   To make matters worse they will continue to work there but do more complaining than work.

However, the small business that grows to be large did it with leadership that was personally accountable for their actions and trained others to do the same.  In many businesses, about 30% of the populations are the “mover and shakers” driving its growth.  However, about 70% of the population thrives on supporting the efforts of others. They attend to details, do routine work, and are customer service agents. These people keep the business running smoothly when they trust leadership, and personal accountability is a sure way to build  it in others. 

 “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” - Sir Josiah Stamp  

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