Accountability is Essential for Success
Cathie Leimbach • September 27, 2022
The success of a group relies on high performance from every individual. An important leadership responsibility is positioning the organization and its people for success by helping everyone do their job well. This requires holding people accountable to meeting expectations by communicating clearly and supporting them to be effective.
3 Benefits of Holding Others Accountable
- Greater Clarity of Purpose – When people are clear about the purpose of their work and buy-in to the value the organization provides to society, they have more passion for their job.
- Improved Performance – When people are clear about what is expected of them and know that their work is important enough to be noticed by their supervisor and peers, they are more motivated to do their best.
- Better Team Dynamics – When there is mutual accountability with the leaders fulfilling their responsibilities and all team members working to fulfill theirs, there is a sense of belonging that inspires collaboration and high achievement.
5 Tips for Holding Others Accountable
- Hold Yourself Accountable – Be a visible role model. Follow company rules. Communicate your priorities and achievements to your staff. Keep your promises to them.
- Make Expectations Clear – What do you want each person to achieve at work? What are the standards required for a healthy workplace culture?
- Set Manageable Goals – Be specific about the quantity and quality of results your staff members are expected to achieve each day or week. Provide them with the training and the tools they need to do their work well.
- Offer Constructive Feedback – When a staff member is struggling or underperforming help them to improve. Be curious about what is hindering good performance and provide them support to overcome their challenges. Equip them for success. If they are a right-fit employee for your company but not for their current role, find them a right-fit position.
- Implement Consequences When Necessary – If despite sincere and relevant training and support have been provided to an individual and they are still underperforming, negative consequences will be necessary. Dismissing a wrong-fit employee after offering help to overcome their performance gaps sends the message to others that you really do notice the difference between poor and good performers.
Clear and supportive accountability yields high morale and productivity for personal and organizational success.
As the New Year approaches, it’s a natural time to look forward and ask what you want the next chapter to bring. One simple way to reflect to ask yourself three questions to create a stronger year ahead, what should you: Stop?, Continue?, and Start? Stop focusing energy on habits, meetings, or expectations that no longer serve you or your team. This might mean letting go of outdated processes, unnecessary urgency, or ways of working that drain momentum without adding value. Continue the practices that helped you gain traction this year. Think about what worked—perhaps clear communication, strong collaboration, consistent follow-through, or time spent developing people. These are the behaviors worth protecting and reinforcing. Start being intentional about what will move you forward in 2026. This could include setting clearer priorities, investing in leadership development, building healthier team rhythms, or creating space for innovation and growth. Taking time to reflect now helps you enter the New Year with purpose rather than pressure. Small, thoughtful shifts can create meaningful impact over time. Ready to turn reflection into action? 👉 View our Stop • Continue • Start Worksheet for a simple, practical way to reset priorities, build on what’s working, and step into 2026 with clarity and momentum.
As the year comes to a close, it’s worth pausing to ask a simple question: What brought you joy this year at work and in life? Joy doesn’t always arrive in big, headline moments. Often, it shows up quietly—in meaningful conversations, shared laughter, progress made, lessons learned, or the steady presence of people who support us. Sometimes joy is found in growth, sometimes in rest, and sometimes in simply getting through a challenging season with resilience and grace. Take a few minutes to reflect. What moments made you smile? When did you feel most connected? For what are you grateful? This reflection isn’t about ignoring the hard parts of the year. It’s about honoring the bright spots that sustained you through them. Recognizing joy helps us close the year with perspective and open the next one with hope. As the holidays approach, give yourself permission to slow down, savor meaningful moments, and share joy with others—through kindness, gratitude, and presence. May this season be filled with moments that lift your spirit, and may you carry that joy with you into the year ahead. 👉 Take a moment to pause this season—view the Reflecting on Joy one-pager and reflect on what brought meaning to your work and life this year. Wishing you a truly joy-filled Christmas season .