ARE YOU HOLDING STAFF ACCOUNTABLE
4. Exceptional Leadership – Accountability
The weakest link in the Exceptional Leadership chain is accountability, i.e. following up. Having worked with hundreds of firms, companies and agencies, what we’ve seen over and over again is this lack of holding people responsible for acting and producing results. And yet, this is a major key to leadership success.
In these consulting engagements, we often spend the largest percentage of our time in follow-up – reminding our clients and customers of their commitments, moving them ahead of possible obstacles, and not letting them skip “next steps.” Therefore, my partner and I have often been called:
“Mentors and Tormentors.”
And it is this “tormentor” role that makes sure things happen. Leaders and followers must get involved. It is your responsibility to hold yourself and them accountable for the results of your decisions.
Effective leadership is putting things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out.
Well organized follow-up focuses on accountability with activities that have the greatest impact and value. Multiply the use of individual operational tools to leverage wider exposure and generate additional involvement:
- Establish clear goals, timelines and budget;
- Provide a format for building future participation;
- Measure and report successes often;
- Analyze both success and rejections to improve future actions.
- Develop your group’s talents in this manner will produce a higher ROI.
And reworking underperforming internal processes can increase efficiency and while decreasing time spent in making things happen.
See all 6 EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS
