In any organization, everything rises and falls on the senior leadership team. The people in power have a profound effect on organizational health and when they commit to “walking the talk” in terms of leadership accountability, it solidifies the foundation of healthy, thriving teams and clears the path for business-building results.
And like most things in life, it’s easier said than done, which is why it is so crucial that leaders approach accountability with intentionality—and a spirit of “practice makes progress”.
If you are aware that Leadership Accountability is an area that is compromising the health of your organization, take comfort: every leader can take tangible steps towards organizational health, and we’re going to provide some of them here.
Leadership Accountability and the Ascent Model
Savvy senior leaders understand the importance of investing in growth, and they put their money where their mouths are, so to speak. This is right and good. Part of that investment is investing in the health of your organization. Organizational health refers to the overall well-being and effectiveness of a company in achieving its long-term goals; it’s measured by factors such as the happiness and engagement of both customers and employees. Broad and ever-moving, organizational health requires leaders to stay intentionally tuned in with what their people need! The savviest leaders prioritize transparency, vulnerability, trust, and relationships—all tenants of healthy organizations—knowing each one is crucial for enhanced performance and results.
In the OrgHealth Ascent Model, Leadership Accountability forms part of the triangle’s base as a reminder that the senior leadership team is the linchpin of organizational health. The other three aspects are for the whole group, but this one is for leadership because their impact is just that big!
So why isn’t it at the centre? Great question. At the centre of the model is Collaborative Culture because it speaks to the company as a whole but also specifically to the culture of the senior leadership team. Leadership Accountability will break down without Collaborative Culture. Without that piece of collaboration, “accountability” simply becomes commanding control.
3 Keys to Unlock Leadership Accountability
Each individual on the senior leadership team and board must commit to Leadership Accountability—both along their own paths and in terms of helping their peers walk their talk. What does it look like when leaders engage with accountability practices? They model personal ownership. They take responsibility for the impact of their behaviours and words. They show up to commitments and focus their attention on where they are. They ensure everyone understands the roadmap and is clear about their role in it. By paying attention to these three elements—personal ownership, behavioural impact, and role clarity—they are more able to communicate clearly and frequently, listen just as actively, and respond with consistency and alacrity.
This is the goal. It’s the necessary reality for a company to really be healthy. Here’s how to bring it to life:
1. Take Personal Ownership
Sometimes it can feel as if we wear different personas as easily as we do outfits. We’re one person, swinging with our toddler at the playground, another volunteering at a community nonprofit, another with our friends on the weekend, and yet another at work. But you’re the same human being. You may compartmentalize and adjust the presentation, but, ultimately, you show up as you in all areas of your life—how you respond to the unexpected, which qualities you respect in people, the way you interpret people’s behaviours, how you manage stress—whether you’re aware of it or not.
So perhaps you, like many leaders, read a book and feel morally and ideologically convinced about the importance of organizational health. You may be willing to invest in getting your team working on it. But owning it personally, as you, requires you to work it into your whole life. You own it as a person, and work towards living it instead of merely admiring it, or worse, delegating it to HR. You commit.
And your team sees you commit. Modeling is the trump card; people don’t need you telling them what to do. They need to see you doing it.
This can be tricky at first, as you model a behaviour that isn’t yet cemented as an authentic value or practice. You may be awkward, inconsistent… and you don’t necessarily have all the answers... yet. But modeling the intent, the commitment, and the progress is a good place to start. As you do the work, you make space for others to do the same, and safely.
2. Recognize Behavioural impact
This one is a hurdle! By the time you’ve reached senior leadership, you’ve pushed, you’ve failed, and you’ve achieved success. There’s so much to celebrate. You are a leader for good reason! At the same time, everyone—everyone—has blind spots. For the most visible person in an organization, that’s an awkward position to be in.
Learning about the impact of your behaviour takes a great deal of work and trust. The higher up the chain you are, the less willing people are to communicate the full truth to you. There are real risks to them based on how you perceive them when they speak to you, even if you feel you would never do them wrong.
This is one of the most difficult catch-22s leaders find themselves in: I need feedback, so I’ll ask people. But when I ask people, they can’t give me feedback that hasn’t been slanted in some way for self-protection.
Having a coach here is invaluable. Great coaches are not affected by that power dynamic, but they are tuned into these challenges and can equip you to work on those blind spots and really explore the impact you have on your team and organization. With their support, you can do the work with a trusted guide who is committed to your good and able to point the way forward. It won’t always be easy, but it will get easier.
3. Require Role Clarity
Pat Lencioni encourages senior leaders to know their “Team Number One”: that’s the leadership team, not the department you lead. Your first allegiance is to the leadership team. Period. As such, you are responsible for having the uncomfortable, hard conversations, creating the right culture, and working towards positive, impactful decisions first within that team, before you ferry it out to the various teams you oversee.
This also applies to the board. Remember the Secret Formula for Organizational Effectiveness! Providing clarity about how information flows to the right people and how those individuals and teams relate to one another is vital in avoiding the confusion of mixed expectations, missed information, and misplaced frustration. You are accountable for the responsibilities related to your role.
Accountability Starts Here and Now
Leadership Accountability begins with holding yourself accountable to yourself. Leaders are the roof of what organizational health can be—and you can only raise this cap as far as you are willing to invest in your growth. When you do, though, you raise the cap for everyone.
Here’s the great news: You’ve started! With the OrgHealth Ascent Assessment, with continued learning, and with unwavering commitment to your team, your organization, and your goals. If you haven’t taken the assessment, now’s the time. If you have, keep building your momentum, doing the work, and modeling the change. Tell your team, get curious about their journey, and hold one another accountable on the way.
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