Here is a critical question for accountable teams. Let’s say you know for certain that the leader you report to is making a choice that undermines an important commitment–a choice that does not align with the organization’s stated values. What do you do? Do you speak up? Do you find an appropriate place and time to share your perspective that the commitments and the values of your organization are being compromised? Or do you make
You may only dimly recall the name Collin Martin from a story that flashed by a while back…or you may have no idea at all who Collin Martin is or why he is important in any discussion of accountable leadership. That is about to change. A midfielder for the San Diego Loyal in the USL Championship soccer league, Martin did something remarkable in June of 2018: He came out publicly as gay. This made him
So: What makes the customer experience positive? A culture by design. And what makes that culture by design an accountable culture? Keeping commitments to people. One of the most critical of those commitments is the commitment to live the values. That has to start at the top.
Accountability and responsibility are two very different things. Accountability is keeping your commitments to people. Responsibility is taking on a certain task. The difference is subtle and instructive, and it connects to the vitally important concept of commitment. There are tactical commitments, for which people take on responsibility, and which build productivity (that is what leaders want). And there are also relational commitments, which support relationships and build accountability (that is what leaders need).
What is the first and most important commitment of accountable leaders? What do true Masters of Accountability always do? I ask this question often, and I get a wide variety of responses. It surprises me how rarely people share the answer I am looking for: Accountable leaders are committed to developing their team members to their fullest potential.
“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say, ‘You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free?
I was inspired recently by an article in Business Insider that profiled Peggy Cherng, one of the founders (with her husband Andrew) of the successful Panda Express restaurant chain. The article highlighted Cherng’s commitment to philanthropy–which I prefer to call by its more accessible name, “giving.” Giving is an essential part of accountable leadership, for the simple reason that it is part of the commitment that all accountable leaders make to develop and follow a
NOTE: I set up several calls recently with Sheriff Joel Richardson, a man I respect immensely, to discuss the difficult issues facing today’s law enforcement organizations. Joel leads the Randall County, Texas, Sheriff’s Department, which includes part of the city of Amarillo; he served for eight and a half years as the presiding officer for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Joel presents, in my view, a perfect example of what accountable leadership in law
But actions still speak louder than words! We live in a hyper-connected, hyper-informed era. Thanks to today’s round-the-clock media cycles, mobile devices, and social media platforms, you and I can set up news feeds that allow us to take in more news per day than ever before. That’s a good thing…right? Well — yes and no. The trouble is, lots and lots of the news we end up exposing ourselves to is bad. If we’re
Like just about everyone else I know, I have watched the news about the massive protests triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. As that incident and similar incidents have become topics of the national conversation, I have found myself confronting some major questions about accountability in the nation’s police departments. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with a good friend of mine, and a client, Sheriff Joel Richardson, to discuss
Website Developed by Square Pixel, LLC
We use cookies to give you the best online experience.
By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy
