“Accountability breeds response-ability.” – Stephen Covey

What is accountability? The dictionary defines it as the state or quality of being accountable. It is the decision to be responsible for your actions and your work within your team and company.

Let’s break this down in real terms...
Accountability means you follow through and do what you say you are going to do. You don’t make excuses or blame others.

As a leader, I lean heavily on Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions Of A Team. He describes how many teams avoid accountability. It creates a ripple effect. They don’t trust each other and as a result won’t discuss matters honestly. They fail to hold each other to a standard of accountability. In this environment, the team’s work becomes unfocused, their energy dissipates, and things fall apart.