Every company needs accountability woven into the fabric of its culture. You can still have a lively, creative, warm atmosphere with high standards of performance and personal ownership. So be intentional about this.
How accountable is your atmosphere today? Start by asking yourself the following 5 questions:
- Do people routinely miss deadlines?
- Do projects fall by the wayside, never to be resurrected?
- Do people tend to blame others when things go wrong?
- Are people competitive with each other rather than supportive?
- Are people reluctant to take on new initiatives?
If you’ve created an atmosphere of accountability, it’s in the air you breathe. It’s rare that someone dumps a monkey on your desk. People are excited to take on new initiatives and willingly jump in to help someone that needs support.
[Tweet “In an atmosphere of accountability, people own their deadlines and missteps.”]
They hold you and other leaders to your word. And importantly, they consistently deliver projects on time and on budget.
Leadership Development: Remember that no matter how accountable you are as an individual, if you haven’t created an atmosphere of accountability, you’ll be hamstrung. Leadership is about rallying people to perform at their highest level. They’re only as good as the environment you create for them.