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.
Chick-fil-A restaurants often receive far more job applications than they have openings. This is not luck. It is leadership. People apply where they believe they will be treated well. At Chick-fil-A, employees experience respectful communication, clear expectations, and leaders who support their success. That reputation spreads quickly through word of mouth. Leaders in these restaurants do simple things well. They ask questions before they assume. They listen to employees. They provide encouragement and clear direction. They notice good work and address problems in a helpful way. As a result, employees feel valued. They enjoy coming to work. They tell others. That is what attracts more applicants. Many organizations focus only on hiring. Strong organizations focus on how people are treated after they are hired. When leaders create a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and clear on what success looks like, something powerful happens: People stay. People perform. And more people want to join. This is what leadership really is. Would you like to see several leadership and culture practices Chick-fil-A uses to attract and keep quality employees? Click here to view: How Chick-fil-A Attracts Quality Applicants
What If Your Biggest Performance Problem Isn’t What You Think? When CEOs think about risk, they often focus on: Market shifts Operational issues Financial exposure But one of the biggest performance problems is far less visible: Low trust inside the organization. Nearly 30% of employees say they don’t receive clear, honest, or consistent communication from leadership. Over time, that creates doubt—about expectations, personal performance, and priorities. Employees begin to feel that their job is at risk because they aren’t getting any positive feedback. They question whether they have the tools, training, and support needed to do their jobs well. When they only hear about changes at work through the rumor mill, they feel information is being held back. And when that happens: Alignment drops Speed slows Assumptions increase Execution fractures “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” — Stephen R. Covey Trust isn’t soft. It’s a leading indicator of performance. When trust is strong: Decisions move faster Teams align quicker Change sticks When trust is weak: Everything takes longer Everything costs more And here’s the reality : Trust-building conversations are not a common leadership strength today. Yet leaders like Ken Blanchard, Stephen M.R. Covey, and David Horsager all point to the same conclusion—these are not optional skills. They are required for performance in today’s environment. Which means trust gaps are rarely about effort. They’re about conversation skills. A question to consider: Where might low-trust leadership behaviors—not lack of effort—be quietly slowing your organization down? Join Cathie Leimbach and a small group of leaders for a 45-minute Leadership Conversation – Workforce Challenges on Tuesday, May 12 at 3:00 PM ET. If trust is impacting speed, alignment , or execution in your organization, this conversation is for you. Register here Limited to a small group.