How to be a Leader who holds others Accountable -Lesson 3

Lesson 3: Recognizing That People Want to Avoid Accountability

I have received many questions from business owners and leaders about how to hold others accountable so they can lead their team to achieve extraordinary results.

This is lesson #3 out of six lessons I’ve learned about being a leader who powerfully holds others accountable.

I realize that it’s part of the existing human culture to avoid accountability. People avoid accountability because they are afraid of being punished if things don’t turn out.

We avoid accountability because we are afraid of failing; of looking bad; of being judged by others. It seems easier to keep our head down, stay in the background and drift along, waiting to react to what shows up.

We gather our explanations and try to survive the forces that seem to determine our lives and our business.

In contrast, when I operate as my word, I am committed to my own empowerment. I am stepping outside the comfort zone of the current culture.

I am holding myself to account. I am giving up the reasons and excuses I used to hold myself back. Now I am actively tracking, i.e., measuring and counting, my results over time.

I am willing to make bold commitments and then measure my success at achieving them (measuring tangible results and outcomes, i.e., customers, clients, sales, income, etc.)

Stay tuned for Accountability Lesson #4: How to inspire your team to set outrageous goals – and accomplish them!