Four Critical Behaviors of Balanced Accountability

The How and Why of High Engagement
December 16, 2013
The Seven Essential Abilities of an Empathetic Leader
February 10, 2014

You’ve heard the adage, If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Something very similar applies with regard to Accountability. Namely, you are either driving too little, too much, or just the right balance of Accountability. There is only a very small sweet spot that can be called driving the right level of Accountability.
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Balanced Accountability addresses the performance side of leadership and the ultimate goal of Leadership Intimacy and achieving High Commitment and High Performance. For this reason, Accountability stands with Empathy as the two principal Leadership Attraction Powers.

Four Critical Accountability Behaviors

The foundation of Accountability is built upon four essential leadership behaviors. Without any one of them, Accountability is compromised.

1. Humility
It’s easy to find fault in others. Great leaders recognize the principal faults they should be working most diligently to correct are their own.

2. Acceptance
It’s also natural to be defensive, but exceptional and adult-like to take constructive criticism non-defensively with sincere appreciation. Leaders avoid acceptance by dodging criticism with justification, excuses, counterattacks, and other subterfuges.

3. Courage
It takes courage to own your failures as well as your successes. But courage is its own reward, because it’s contagious. Courageous leaders inspire courageous performance in the people they lead.

4. Commitments
Accountable leaders make commitments, share them, and keep them. They use all their energy to demonstrate all-out commitment to everything they promise.

Delivering according to specific expectations lies at the heart of driving performance. Accountable leaders do so across an organization and within each team member. They align and move themselves, other individuals, teams, and the organization toward sustainable growth and profit.

If you would like to see where you and your leaders express the Six Attraction Powers, I invite you to take Align4Profit’s free Mini Leadership Attraction Profile. You are also welcome to register for our next Leadership Attraction Powers Workshop and work with other leaders on your Six Attraction Powers.

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Helanie Scott
Helanie Scott
Helanie (pronounced yeh-LAH-nee) Scott, CEO and founder of Align4Profit in Dallas, Texas, has driven stunning leadership and cultural transformations for an impressive list of organizations. She has mastered the ability to connect with her audiences in the boardroom, classroom, on stage, or in one-on-one coaching sessions. Helanie’s Align4Profit clients rave at the way her engaging programs freshen outdated mindsets and deliver results-oriented, aligned action.