Leadership accountability is the fulcrum in the teeter-totter between optimal performance and strong culture or lack of trust, communication, and engagement. McKinsey & Company’s The State of Organizations report adds in that high leadership accountability also leads to healthier organizations.

Accountability, accountability, accountability. I hear it everywhere. And when I ask what that means, I often hear about someone else who needs to “own” something, and “my job” is to enforce that “ownership”. In other words, I’m the leader so do what I tell you do, and I won’t have to talk to you about your performance. So, where is the leaders’ accountability? This is the chasm that creates chaos, confusion, missteps, misalignment, and turnover.

Accountability starts with self. You. You are the self I’m talking to right now! Are you predictable for your people (up and down the org chart)? Do they see you doing what you say you will do, and will they see the same person today they saw yesterday and tomorrow? What are your people saying that you are not hearing?

Accountability is much deeper than an action. It’s a value set of honesty and integrity. Are you being honest with yourself and others about your mistakes? And are you holding your integrity in the wake of bad decisions or overstepping? How often do you say, “I don’t know” or “I made a mistake”? Those are two phrases that will help you discern where you are living in your value set that comprises accountability.

Communication is critical to all organizations. And accountability without good communication is a recipe for disengagement. Clear, concise, credible, and consistent communication skills are worth investing in on the daily. Did my message reach the intended audience in a way that they understood my request/change? Have I been consistently communicating with them, or do I only show up when there is a mistake? Have I determined “performance management” means addressing problems?

Here we go — into a brand new opportunity! Where will you grow on your leadership journey of accountability?