Transformational Leadership Blog

Welcome to the third installment of our Developing Your Character for Leadership series. This is a series of articles on how you, as a leader, can enhance your leadership skills and maximize good impact in your organization.

Leaders are always in pedestals. They are always on display and being watched by all sorts of people—from those who are involved in the organization or the spectators from the sidelines.

Trophy, Axe or Shrug—three things that most leaders get for their performance. Excellent leader get the trophy, the bad ones get axed and the average, unremarkable ones get the shrug.

Who gives these prizes to the leaders?

The answer? The people to whom the leader is accountable.

Accountability is very important in business, in government and in all aspect of business world. Accountability is founded on the integrity of the leader. Without integrity, no trust will be given to the leader. Without trust, there is no leadership. All these are connected by accountability.

A leader has authority. But such authority does not come from heaven above proclaiming him as the savior of the organization. No. The authority comes from the stakeholders, usually in the form of a governing board with a set of laws and regulations.

The authority of the United States president comes from the blessing of the American voters in accordance with the process set forth in the US Constitution and laws. The authority of a Chief Executive Officer usually comes from the Board who chose him to run the organization.

Authority therefore needs accountability in order to work. These are the elements of accountability that each leader has to develop.

1. Integrity.

The personal character of the leader is always the number one determinant of his success as a leader. He gets to be trusted, people are drawn to him. And the stakeholders of the organization are not afraid that the leader will bring the organization down.

It takes years to build integrity. It’s hard work. Difficult and pain-ridden. But it only takes a few days to completely destroy it. Look at what happened to Tiger Woods. ‘nuff said.

Integrity makes trust possible because it shows that the leader is trustworthy and will not bring the organization down.

2. Relationship with stakeholders (a.k.a. the Board).

Nurturing relationship with the stakeholders help improve trust between them. The investors, board members and other people who have important stakes in the organization will feel more at ease if the leader develops a meaningful relationship with them. Such an act also helps the leader gain their trust, not for the sake of manipulating them or ensuring his position but for building greater understanding between them.

3. Relationship with colleagues and subordinates.

A leader cannot stand alone. After all, a leader who does not have followers is either delusional or plain crazy! The colleagues and subordinates are accountable to the leader. They report to him. They tell him what is going on. Since the leader is responsible for their performance and their well-being, building trust and accountability is extremely essential.

4. Relationship with clients and customers

Organizational and business culture has changed over the years. The twenty-first century calls for greater transparency on the part of organizations. The public is watching. People want to know what the organization is about. Does it truly care for the people it claims to serve? An organization then, including the leader, is accountable to clients and customers. If he does a sloppy job, the clients and customers will show their wrath by not patronizing what the organization has to offer.

5. Transparent systems and processes.

Building accountability is hard work. It entails building connections, putting transparency systems and processes in place so as to build confidence. Such system takes the form of reporting and communication lines, rewards system for good performance reprimands for bad performance and everything that helps ensure transparent and honest dealing within the organization.

Accountability is an essential part of responsibility. It is rooted in the authority of the leader. Whoever gave the authority to the leader has the power to call that leader into account. He reports to them. He lets them know what is going on. He gets the trophy for excellent performance. If everything is just doing well, he gets the shrug. But if he slips and makes tragic mistakes, he gets the axe!

Nurture relationships. Show people that you are trustworthy. Build your integrity in the eyes of your people. When you do that, they give you their trust. When they trust you, you can really lead them to where the vision tells you to go. Without trust, there is no accountability. When you do not cherish accountability, you will be summoned, called to account and asked to leave.

Nurture accountability or lose your leadership! It’s your choice.

image credit: Savagechickens.com

Related posts:

1. Do You Recognize these 5 Early Warning Signs of the Loss of Integrity in a Leader?
2. The Cowardly Leader’s Guide to Rewarding Losers and Underperformers
3. Are You Giving Up Responsibility by Committing These Leadership Mistakes?