Without accountability there is no good decision making

Accountability isn't just a practice but a way of living. It's about the integrity of being the same person in every room you enter, every decision you make, and every challenge you face. It’s about confronting not just what we do wrong but also celebrating what we do right.

The past few years have tested leaders across the globe, presenting scenarios that demanded not only immediate action but profound responsibility. From the boardrooms of multinational corporations to the highest offices of government, the actions (or inactions) of leaders have had a dramatic impact on our world.

Accountability shows positive impact - Let's have a look at leaders in action

The Pandemic meets Ardern

Effective Leadership

Consider New Zealand's response to the COVID-19 pandemic under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Her government's quick action, clear communication, and transparent decision-making processes exemplified accountability. Ardern's consistent updates and empathetic leadership style built a strong trust with the public, crucial in a crisis requiring collective action.

From the outset, the New Zealand government acted swiftly. As the virus spread globally, New Zealand implemented strict border controls and a comprehensive quarantine system for incoming travelers, which was crucial in delaying significant local transmission. This quick action bought valuable time to ramp up health infrastructure and testing capabilities.

Lessons of Lack

Conversely, other nations saw leaders who hesitated, provided mixed messages, or outright dismissed the severity of the crisis, leading to confusion and a breakdown in public trust. These examples underscore how the absence of accountability can exacerbate a crisis, leading to severe consequences.

Economic Downturns meet Merkel

Accountable Actions

During economic downturns, leaders like Chancellor Angela Merkel demonstrated accountability by steering Germany with a steady hand, implementing rigorous fiscal policies that balanced austerity (measures employed by governments to reduce their debts) with growth initiatives. Her transparency in discussing these difficult choices helped the public understand and support painful but necessary measures.

The Fallout of Failure

On the flip side, countries that lacked clear economic strategies or shifted policies without clear rationale faced deeper recessions and public discontent. These situations highlighted how accountability—or the lack thereof—can directly affect economic stability and public confidence.

Environmental Crises meet Bainimarama

Proactive Accountability

In the face of climate change, small island nations have shown remarkable accountability. Leaders like Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji, have not only advocated strongly at international forums but have also implemented robust local actions to combat climate impacts, setting an example of responsible governance.

Accountability Avoided

Meanwhile, some global powers have faltered, with leaders downplaying scientific data or retracting from international agreements, thus shirking responsibilities with global repercussions. These actions demonstrate how avoiding accountability can lead to a loss of leadership stature and trust on the world stage.

Important note: Not all leaders I mentioned here are perfect and prime examples for accountability in every scenario - but a good blueprint to explain the concept based on measurable results.

PERSONAL TAKE

Allowing a lack of accountability can create mistrust, low morale and unethical decision making that does't lead to sustainable outcomes for anyone involved. Throughout my career, from the high-performance environments of elite consulting firms to the realm of my entrepreneurial ventures, the principle of accountability is not just a professional guideline but a must have. No one is perfect. You need to learn to get better in being accountable over the years. Our educational systems fail to address that topic in-depth. You learn through life experiences how important that topic is and you see how people that act in an accountable way succeed in life and find long-term happiness over those that don't.

What is Accountability?

Accountability is the acceptance of our/your responsibilities to what happened or what is going to happen - encompassing the successes we celebrate and the missteps from which we learn.

The result of behaving in an accountable way is being perceived by others as a dependable anchor in a storm and the consistent leader in calm waters.

Why Accountability is Your Secret Weapon

Accountability is crucial because it builds an unshakeable foundation of trust, enhances team performance, and sharpens ethical decision-making.

But there's more to it. Have you ever considered how your accountability affects those around you not just professionally, but personally?

Stories of Accountability in Action

Let me take you through a couple of real-life scenarios where accountability played a starring role, highlighting both the struggles and the victories.

Professional Realm: The Case of a Project in Peril

At the start of my career I was part of a project team tasked with launching a new product. The mission was ambitious and the stakes were high. Our manager, although highly skilled technically, struggled with accountability.

Several weeks into the project, it became evident that our timeline was unrealistic. Despite clear signs of potential delays, our manager continued to promise on-time delivery to senior stakeholders, avoiding difficult conversations about the looming challenges.

The inevitable happened—we missed our initial launch date. Tensions ran high as the blame game ensued. Observing this, I noticed the ripple effects of lacking accountability. Team morale plummeted, and trust in leadership waned.

Eventually, our manager had to face the repercussions. In a crucial meeting with senior management, he took ownership of the oversight. This moment, though late, was pivotal. It began the process of rebuilding trust. The project was recalibrated with more realistic expectations and greater team input, leading to a successful launch, albeit delayed.

Personal Accountability Among Friends

A close friend committed to a healthier lifestyle, which included regular exercise and a better diet. Initially, she was enthusiastic, sharing his goals with our friend group and seeking support. As weeks passed, her motivation waned. She began skipping gym sessions and opting for less healthy food choices when we meet to eat out, justifying her decisions with increasing work pressure and lack of time.

Faced with the collective concern of friends, she at some point acknowledged her lack of accountability and started to work with a personal and nutritional coach to get-things-done and stay committed.

Framework for Improving Accountability

Improving your accountability means strengthening your emotional intelligence. You need to be able to self-reflect deeply and engage in active listening.

Understand the feedback you receive from outsiders and check-in with yourself: Is my decision making aligned with what i communicated? Am i following-up to things I claim to do? Am i improving my public perception as someone who is accountable or am I misaligning my communicated picture of reality with what i really do or how i personally behave and act?

Always ensure you have access to unbiased feedback. Ask people to be honest and balanced - not necessarily nice to you. If you just want to listen to people that constantly say how great you are, you might be in a circle that doesn't want you to grow but instead just want your validation and attention. This is a reinforcing cycle that doesn't help you to grow but instead reinforce tendencies to not act accountable.

Deep-dive: How to recognize if you are stuck in validation cycles that prevent personal growth

Recognizing and addressing the cycle of seeking validation rather than constructive feedback is crucial for personal and professional growth. Here are some clear examples and situations in daily life where you might identify this pattern, and how to effectively break free from it ...

In the Workplace

Situation: You've recently completed a project and are now gathering feedback.

Recognition: Notice if the feedback is uniformly positive or superficial. Are your colleagues or supervisors only praising your efforts without offering any constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement? If discussions focus only on affirmatives like "great job" or "everything looks perfect," and there's a lack of detailed insight into areas of improvement, this could be a sign that the feedback might be biased towards validation.

Action: Encourage your colleagues to provide balanced feedback. You could say, "I appreciate your positive comments, but I'd also like to know what could be improved. Are there areas you think I could work on for next time?" This prompts a more honest and constructive response that can lead to real growth.

In Personal Relationships

Situation: You're discussing life decisions or personal dilemmas with friends or family.

Recognition: Reflect on the nature of the advice you receive. Are your friends always agreeing with you, even when you know deep down that you could have handled a situation better? This might indicate that they are more interested in maintaining harmony or your approval rather than encouraging your growth.

Action: Ask for genuine opinions by framing your request for feedback with specific questions like, "Do you think there was a better way I could have handled that situation?" or "I value your honest opinion, what do you think I could do differently next time?"

On Social Media

Situation: You post content regularly and receive feedback from your followers.

Recognition: Pay attention to the nature of the comments and reactions. If the feedback is exclusively positive and dismisses any constructive critique you might receive, it could be reinforcing only what you want to hear.

Action: Seek out diverse perspectives by asking direct questions in your posts, such as "What are your thoughts on this view?" or "I'd love to hear different angles on this topic." This can encourage a broader range of responses and provide a more rounded perspective.

In Self-Reflection

Situation: You're reflecting on your day or a recent event in which you were involved.

Recognition: Be aware of how you appraise your own actions. Are you justifying your mistakes and focusing only on your successes? This could be a sign that you're not holding yourself accountable.

Action: Practice objective self-reflection. Consider writing in a journal and asking yourself challenging questions like, "What could I have done better?" and "What did I learn from this experience?" Be honest with yourself to ensure you're not falling into a cycle of self-validation.

Accountability tips from mentors of mine that i received when i started my career as a consultant

Important: clear, transparent goals. Uncertainty can often be the first domino in a chain of accountability failures.

Ask for regular, constructive feedback. It's not just about improvement but also about recognizing and reinforcing the positives.

Be the example of what you want to see in others. When leaders act accountably, they set a powerful precedent for everyone around them.

Never engage in micromanagement (telling someone how to do things) - only if you are specifically asked for help. Give your team the reins on projects. This empowerment can transform their approach to accountability and boost morale.

Ask yourself and neutral others: Did I achieve progress? Sometimes the feedback of others might be misaligned with your own perception of reality.

A Call to Reflect

As you read these stories, I challenge you to think about your own moments of accountability. How have they shaped your relationships, your career, or even your self-esteem?

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