Want to Be a Great Leader? Start with Accountability.
Whether you’ve heard about accountability from those in leadership positions or seen it in job descriptions, you may not realize that companies need to embrace it as a fundamental practice. Accountability remains relevant on both the individual and organizational level and is a core value I seek to embody and instill in my team. I consider it to be a core attribute in business. As a member of the Swoop Product team, I’m tasked with building out data platforms used by Swoop, IPM.ai and Real Chemistry, which consist of billions of claims records from over 300 million patients in the U.S. The nature of my role demands that I exercise accountability to ensure we are managing the data responsibly. Aside from being accountable for this sensitive data, I also oversee three different work streams and timelines that are critical to our team’s operations.
Although the demands of my position vary, I focus on crisp communication and a defined workload balance – my sense of accountability always carries through. While I do my best to consistently make the right decision, I’ve learned to be comfortable taking ownership of any course corrections – something that’s proven crucial for building trust. Recognizing a hiccup and taking ownership early on creates an opportunity to learn and be better prepared if the situation repeats. This also sets an example for the team and is beneficial to all stakeholders.
While I hold myself accountable for my individual work, as a leader and people manager, it’s also important to me that my team practices accountability as well – not only for their individual success but for the group. As this is sometimes easier said than done, I carry out a few practices to help foster an environment of accountability. For example, I hold monthly retrospective meetings, an open discussion that gives everyone a chance to look back and contemplate our delivery. The group pauses to reflect, share, discuss and take ownership of changes we might want to make in the future. From this individual starting point, we then determine the best opportunity to improve together. All participants are vocal as everyone is encouraged to share from a place of understanding. These meetings are well received and have improved individual and team accountability.
As basic as it may seem, accountability has been a constant throughout my career. Nearly 20 years ago, I was working on software for an e-retailer and noticed a major security flaw just as the website was about to launch. I felt it was important to fix the problem before going live because credit card information could be compromised. Despite friction from my supervisor who preferred we stay on target time-wise and resolve the issue following the launch, I spoke up on behalf of the customer. I explained the risks and how it would impact our company in the future. Ultimately, doing the right thing prevailed. Although the deadline was slightly delayed, we took accountability and built a product that users could safely return to – and we established a long-lasting relationship with our customer built on trust. Furthermore, this experience proved a long-lasting lesson on prioritizing accountability – even when it’s not the easiest path forward.
The reality is that there will always be competing pressures – and sometimes even people – that will counteract accountability. My advice is that organizations, and especially managers, should openly and actively take accountability because others will follow your example. Aside from benefiting the individual, this will positively impact your team and company as a whole – encouraging everyone to step up and demonstrate accountability creates a culture of transparency. When the entire staff is empowered to speak up, to own their actions, and to be accountable, teams successfully overcome obstacles and deliver optimized outcomes.
