Why is accountability lacking in your company?
Earlier this year, I was listening to a leadership team discuss a new initiative. The conversation sounded decisive:
"We need to move faster on this."
"Agreed."
"This has to be our top priority for Q2."
Heads nodded around the table, the meeting moved on… But no one had actually committed to anything. No plan, no defined expectations, no specifics for deliverables or deadlines.
A month later, these same leaders were frustrated with the lack of progress from their team: "Why aren’t our people taking accountability?"
As a coach, I observe this pattern in executive team meetings all the time – and if you’re a coach or leader, I bet you do, too.
In most ET meetings, everyone leaves believing they’re aligned, that the initiatives discussed will be properly prioritized and delivered as desired. But are there clear expectations? Clear actions and owners? If not, the issue isn’t lack of accountability – it’s that no real commitment was made in the first place.
No Commitment, No Accountability
In these situations, accountability can only be expected when someone has made a clear commitment to deliver something by a defined time and to a clear level of quality.
But in many organizations, work gets launched and "alignment ensured" through directional language instead:
- "Let’s move this forward."
- "This needs attention. It’s really important."
- "Can we make sure it happens this month?"
These statements may sound decisive and signal urgency, but they don’t build real commitment.
Commitment requires more than a leader expressing importance – it requires a clear request. Someone who’s willing to say "Yes, I will deliver that, if these conditions (fill in the blank) can be met and will produce what we need."
Without this intentional communication, leaders leave their teams to interpret what was decided, who owns the work, and how success will be determined. It’s no wonder accountability seems lacking when the work proceeds based on assumptions and interpretation, not shared clarity.
Where Leaders Get Tripped Up
When priorities aren’t clear, execution disappoints… and leaders frame it as an accountability problem.
But accountability can’t be demanded after the fact. It must be built in through communication loops and clear, measurable milestones and goals.
Leaders (yes, you!) have the responsibility to not just state priorities, but to ensure that their requests are well-defined, grounded, and understood. Simple tracking systems and regular check-ins help you hold yourself and your teams accountable. And when progress stalls or the situation changes, team members can know as quickly and clearly as possible.
Leaders are responsible for building and maintaining an environment where people can speak honestly, allowing them the space to negotiate their current commitments. When seeking accountability from teams, clear requests and agreements are the foundational behaviors that leaders must model.
One Simple Discipline
During your next ET meeting, when someone says "yes, let’s do that this week," pause before moving on to the next agenda item and take time then and there to clarify:
- Who will commit
- To what actions or deliverables
- By when, and
- How quality or standards will be measured
Only when the leader being asked to deliver the work both understands and accepts the request can they make a trustworthy commitment. And when they’re able to translate those commitments into agreed-upon actions for the whole team, they invite trust, clarity, and, YES, accountability.
Remember, great leaders aren’t born, but grown – through integrity, practice, and most of all, clear commitments.