A few years ago, I found myself in a work situation that changed how I think about accountability. A new president had been appointed at my company, and I knew we weren’t aligned. I didn’t trust him. I couldn’t quite articulate why, but I felt it in my gut. Instead of addressing the issue head-on, I let it fester. I showed up differently. And ultimately, I left the company.
At the time, it was easy to frame my departure as a necessary career move. But looking back, I see it in a new light. I wasn’t being accountable. Instead of owning my role in the situation, I let frustration dictate my actions. When I returned to the company later, I came back a different leader — one who understood that accountability isn’t about holding others to a standard; it’s about owning how we show up.
Why leaders struggle with accountability
We often think of accountability as something we enforce — a mechanism for ensuring people do their jobs and meet expectations. But the moment accountability becomes about control, we’ve lost.
Accountability isn’t about punishment or blame. True accountability is proactive, not reactive. It’s a culture, not a set of rules. Yet many leaders struggle; 82% of managers admit they have difficulty holding others accountable. At the same time, 91% of employees say improving that skill is a top leadership development need. The underlying problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of what accountability looks like. Here’s how to redefine what it means in your organization:
1. Align accountability with company values
One of the biggest reasons accountability fails is misalignment. Leaders assume employees will naturally “own” their work, but if expectations aren’t clear, people default to doing what’s safe. That’s why the first step in building accountability is tying it to company values.
This practice starts by defining what accountability is. If your company values “ownership,” what does that mean for daily decisions? What behaviors reinforce it? It also requires you to make values part of everyday conversations and actions. In team meetings, instead of only tracking tasks, discuss how work is being done and whether it aligns with shared expectations.
Accountability should also be used as a framework for feedback. Instead of saying, “You missed a deadline,” reframe it as, “How does this align with our value of reliability?” This shifts the conversation from blame to learning.
2. Stop punishing mistakes and start learning from them
Few things kill accountability faster than fear. If people think making a mistake means getting blamed or punished, they’ll try to avoid risk. The real test of accountability is how teams respond when things go wrong.
In one of my leadership workshops, we discussed how organizations often weaponize accountability, turning it into a tool for punishment. I shared a story from my life to illustrate this. For years, I resented a family member who made decisions I disagreed with. Then, I realized I had a choice: I could stay stuck in resentment or take responsibility for how I showed up in the relationship. That shift allowed me to build stronger connections with my family, even in a complicated dynamic.
The same principle applies in leadership. When mistakes happen, leaders can focus on blame or learning. High-accountability teams don’t avoid failure — they analyze it, adjust and move forward with clarity and commitment.
3. Build stronger relationships
At the heart of accountability is trust. When leaders take the time to build personal connections and foster mutual trust, accountability stops feeling like an obligation. It starts feeling like a commitment to the people we work with.
This plays out in teams where managers invest in regular one-on-one conversations that go beyond performance. Instead of asking, “What are you working on?” they ask, “What’s motivating you right now?” or “What do you need to be successful?” These conversations create a culture where people hold themselves accountable — not because they have to, but because they want to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
As leaders, we have a decision to make: Do we create an environment where accountability thrives, or do we reinforce a culture where it’s feared? Because accountability isn’t something we demand from others — it’s something we inspire in them.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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