THE ART/SCIENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is a term that is typically defined as a function of obligation or responsibility, as in:

• Who did this?
• Or, perhaps, who was supposed to do this?

Holding others accountable is also closely associated with the active process of providing feedback which, as we know, is “joined at the hip” with the whole notion of communicating consequences (be they positive or “instructive”).

Each highlighted practice above is an indication of an individual’s leadership effectiveness. As such, think about the best leaders you have ever known, and consider the art/science of accountability in three, highly interdependent realms:

1.      Self-Accountability – How do you feel when you get the sense that the people in charge don’t really care? That they say one thing but their behavior is suggesting something entirely different? Most of us pay attention to the behavior.

The same is true for the people we attempt to influence when we are formally in charge. Their built-in hypocrisy detectors are on high alert (in much the same manner that ours are when we assess the degree of integrity that exists between us and our boss).

And I would suggest the focus of detection is much more about input than anything else. I readily accept the fact that my boss does different things than I do, but is he or she putting as much effort into making their contribution as they are requiring me to put into making mine?

Suffice to say, when it comes to input and effort, effective leaders generally have higher standards and expectations for themselves than they do for those around them.

2.      Other-Accountability – Effectively holding others accountable for their actions and their contributions is the fulcrum around which leadership revolves. Many have a tendency to perceive it as the “snapshot moment” associated with providing feedback or engaging in a difficult conversation when things are off track. But it is so much more than that.

First and foremost, effectively holding others accountable initiates with, and is dependent upon, clear expectations. There is collaborative effort and energy invested by both the leader and the follower regarding the path forward before the first step is taken. With ever-increasing regularity, those expectations are a function of both what will be accomplished, as well as how it will be achieved.

Ongoing calibration also defines effective leadership in the context of accountability. Good leaders stay connected. At a minimum, they monitor progress, remain informed, and become students of effective measurement practice. In so doing, accountability becomes an ongoing, continuing, and enduring iterative reality as opposed to an event characterized by high drama and unexpected revelation.

3.      Removing Accountability – Under the auspices of investing in others and building trust, leaders can sometimes undermine their own efforts to help others develop. They do so by unintentionally removing accountability. It should also be mentioned that almost invariably those leaders sabotage that development with the very best of intentions.

This dynamic emanates from the reality that when you are the boss, it is very difficult to “make suggestions.” As Marshall Goldsmith has pointed out time and time again based on his executive coaching experience over the years: Suggestions from the boss … are frequently interpreted as directives.

Consider all that in this context:

• An individual who reports to you encounters unforeseen difficulty on a project of significance with high visibility.
• That individual approaches you and communicates the particulars of the difficulty.
• You (as the boss) have an interesting moment of truth. You can:

o  Offer suggestions, advice, or direction based on your experience.

- If you choose this path, the project in question almost immediately becomes yours.

o  Empathize with particulars of the difficulty and reiterate your confidence in this individual to mount an effective response.

- If you choose this path, you have provided the individual in question with responsibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to experience the pride and fulfillment that accompany mastery.

I can offer (without the slightest reservation) that I know of no one who is more proficient in the art/science of leadership and accountability than David Brennan. His career has been defined by holding himself (and those he works with) to the highest standards of achievement. Stated differently, I believe he has forgotten more about personal and team-focused accountability than most of us will ever know.

In that regard, we were honored (Marshall Goldsmith, Kathy McDermott, and I) that David contributed a chapter to our Lessons from Leaders book. Besides his irrefutable skill in helping organizations achieve results of significance, he is a role model for leaders at any level and in any walk of life.