A leader’s actions establish the standard for the whole group. By being responsible to themselves, individuals set an example for others by accepting responsibility for their deeds and following ways to become an accountable leader. However, organizations often have misalignment, a lack of ownership, and an inability to carry out strategic plans in the absence of leadership responsibility.
Accountability ultimately rests with leaders, but operations and organizational structure also play a part. A lot of businesses lack the cultural framework necessary to clearly define expectations for their executives. It is your responsibility as HR leaders to emphasize accountability in the workplace, from front-line staff to the executive suite.
How To Be An Accountable Leader
1. Participate In Projects
Active participation in projects is one of the ways to become an accountable leader. Nobody likes a leader who does nothing but stand by while their group puts in all the effort. A conscientious leader takes initiative and participates in tasks. A leader should want to be involved in the project to assist in any manner they can, regardless of its size or duration.
Taking on a modest job or one you can do quickly can demonstrate your commitment, your concern for the work the team is doing, and your availability to help, even if you already have a lot on your plate.
2. Clarify The Goals
Clearly stating the objective and its significance is part of being clear. Setting clear project objectives is one step you can take to become a responsible leader.
Clearly defining objectives and the routes to achieving them facilitates the process of taking responsibility for various activities. You and other staff members may develop accountability by continuing to be open and honest about every facet of a goal.
3. Never Start A Blame Game
Not starting a blame game if things go south is one of the tips for becoming an accountable leader. A person who accepts responsibility for their conduct at work is a responsible leader. Rather than evading, this person decides to accept responsibility or take immediate action to resolve an issue.
Instead of assigning blame, they take ownership of the problem and deal with it. It is difficult to accept responsibility and manage several duties when there is no workplace accountability since we aren’t held accountable.
Recall that everyone errs sometimes, and responsible leaders are no different. They understand that it’s preferable to own up to mistakes and accept accountability for their group. They won’t be deterred by situations or incidents that revolve around failure, and they’ll support their team throughout the trying times.
4. Seek Feedback
A good technique for a leader to increase responsibility is to get feedback as often as you can. Employee feedback may assist you in continuing to be responsible for your responsibilities.
Receiving feedback about your activities from staff members who see that you have finished the items on your agenda might help you become even more ready for the following assignment. Feedback may assist you in modifying your objectives and may also show you whether a goal is regularly successful for the department.
5. Give Honest Feedback
Providing honest feedback is one of the ways to become an accountable leader. Giving sincere criticism as often as you can is another thing you can do to become a responsible leader. Employees can stay responsible for their performance in the future if you provide them with feedback based on their job duties.
Sincere criticism enables the team to improve performance and understand more about its development. Through consistent and sincere criticism and encouragement towards accountability, staff members may gradually improve the quality of their work while accepting accountability for their actions.
6. Assign Sufficient Resources
Making sure their team has the tools they need to complete their work properly is another way a leader can take accountability. This can include giving them the tools and software they need to access the information they need, properly training them on daily tasks, or assigning them to coaches and mentors who can help them learn new skills.
Whatever the situation, providing the team with all the tools they need to be effective and productive workers is a crucial part of accepting responsibility. If you’re not sure whether the team has enough tools, think about conducting a poll to find out what the members of the team think would make them more productive at work, but they don’t presently have.
7. Be Accountable For Success & Failures
Taking ownership of both your accomplishments and shortcomings as a leader is one approach to staying responsible. When you accept your performance, both good and terrible, it makes it easier for others to see your job objectively.
If you speak about anything about the firm, use “we” rather than “I” to promote this kind of responsibility from everyone. Taking equal ownership of your activities creates justice, accountability within your department, and excellent accountability to others.
8. Communicate Effectively
Effective communication is one of the vital tips for becoming an accountable leader. Enhance your communication techniques as a responsible leader to promote a healthy work environment. You could provide a variety of channels for communication so that staff members may address issues in an appropriate environment.
In addition to providing staff members with more channels for contact, leaders should think about promoting candid communication wherever feasible. Maintaining transparency in communication may help you stay responsible for specific goals and encourage team members to do the same.
9. Distribute Goals According To Team Capabilities
By being aware of your team’s strengths, you may enhance your leadership responsibility. It’s best to assign jobs to other staff members if there are any that you can’t possibly do in the allotted time. However, assigning work to staff members requires a thorough understanding of team dynamics. Knowing what your team is capable of doing shows that you are aware of each person’s talents.
Knowing each worker’s talents and current goals can help you both stay responsible for the job you do when assigning duties to them. Comprehending their preferences about labor may also aid in more efficient job distribution. Applying this will enable you to meet objectives more rapidly and demonstrate to your team that you value their contributions.
As A Leader, What Does It Mean To Be Accountable?
In the corporate world, following ways to become an accountable leader is a little-known but crucial part of a positive culture. But what makes a leader responsible, and how can they influence outcomes for the company?
“Accountability” implies that leaders have a superior or subordinate. This may be measured in a variety of ways. Business performance is the first. Leaders, however, also must answer to the employees and the corporate culture, which includes the declared goal, vision, values, and purpose.
Leaders must be dedicated to the company and its employees to be held responsible. They need to cultivate trust among team members and take their responsibility as people leaders seriously. To promote alignment and team concentration, accountable leaders make their objectives known to their teams clearly and concisely. When anything goes wrong, they take ownership of it and offer credit where credit is due.
Those who report to accountable leaders are also accountable to them. For example, middle managers need to be held responsible by executive leadership for their dedication to the company’s operations, culture, and personnel.
To ensure that leaders hold themselves and their teams responsible for the appropriate priorities, HR plays a crucial role. A company may engage in unethical behaviors that destroy value and create liability if “accountability” is too narrowly focused on achieving results at the expense of values or ethics.
HR directors may assist executives in understanding responsibility and how to live it inside the organization by coordinating business values with particular behavioral and performance requirements. By creating teams that can critically analyze the requirements of the organization and how they can contribute, leaders in turn promote team responsibility.
FAQ
Q: What is the accountability gap in leadership?
A: This discrepancy between our leaders expected and actual, quantifiable performance is referred to as the “leadership accountability gap.” There is an issue. Finding the fundamental reason is essential to solving it.
Q: Is taking accountability a leadership trait?
A: Leadership accountability is shown by accepting accountability for one’s actions and building a productive team. A strong leader establishes clear objectives, keeps their word, and engages the team in open communication. They also admit when they make errors and transparently and humbly learn from them.
Q: What makes accountability a desirable trait in a leader?
A: Workers will have more faith in a leader when they see that they are held responsible for their actions and are aware of the repercussions of not living up to expectations. Additionally, this kind of responsibility encourages creativity among team members, which may ultimately result in greater performance.
