Accountability is about showing up, keeping your promise, doing the things you said you would do and ultimately building trust. Leaders must be accountable because if you’re not, know one else will be either.
Being accountable is one of the most important traits a leader can possess. Not only does it help build trust it also fosters a sense of responsibility among those you work with and helps to create a culture of care.
Here are three ways to be more accountable as a leader:
Set Clear Expectations: As a leader, it’s your responsibility to set clear expectations for your team. This means being transparent about your goals and objectives, and communicating them effectively. When everyone understands what’s expected of them, it’s easier to hold them accountable. You must also set your own expectations and make sure you aim high without overextending yourself and your team. Accountability first starts with you.
Take Responsibility for Mistakes: It’s essential to take ownership of your mistakes and learn from them. By doing so, you set a positive example for your team and create a model for accountability. When you admit your mistakes, you show that you’re human, and it’s okay to make errors.
Follow Through on Commitments: As a leader, you must follow through on your commitments. If you promise to do something, make sure you do it. This demonstrates your reliability and builds trust with your team, partners and clients. When you fail to deliver on your promises, it damages your credibility, and others may begin to lose faith in you.
Being accountable is critical to leadership success. By setting clear expectations, taking responsibility for mistakes, and following through on commitments, you can create a culture that leads to trust and success.
Consistent – Aim, change, excel, repeat – That’s the system. Make it consistent. Keep doing what you’re doing over and over again until it resonates where it’s intended to. Simply, set the aim, make the change, excel daily and repeat that process.
They say that people need to know, like and trust you to do business with you. In my opinion the know and like come pretty easily.
Know – enhance your marketing and visibility
Like – show your personality
Trust – has to be earned
How do you earn trust? By being accountable and doing the things you say. From an entrepreneur and leadership perspective you can not make excuses. You have to do what you said, and say what you mean. You have to show up. You have to do the work. You have to deliver.
Business leaders must build trust from the inside out, from employees and team members to the customers. This means showing integrity, maintaining courage, and showing vulnerability.