Accountability is a Form of Self-Respect

Step Up Your Game, and Level Up Those Around You.

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There is a cultural saying that you should not have expectations or you will be disappointed. In the greatest CEOs and founders I coach, this is flipped on its head. 

Their expectations are high, they hold an exceptionally high standard, and they stand by it.

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You’ll hear me say the saying above a lot, because I’ve seen it across the board:

• People who are holding a standard for themselves and others, who are euphoric about their own progress, and have an invested team.…

• And the opposite…from phenomenal people who are dragged down by their own lack of meeting the mark or who are profoundly disappointed when others don’t rise to the occasion. 

The thing I’m impressed by, time and again, is that my highest performers not only hold a high mark for others, but it is also clearly held for themselves. They recognize that they “set the standard they expect” as they go about their work - and they hold themselves accountable, as they do everyone else in the room. 

As one man I was coaching remarked, “I just don’t understand how people are okay showing up this way,” as one of his direct reports repeatedly dropped the ball. He wasn’t sure how it happened, or how that could even exist in his organization…but in time, it became more and more clear as we worked together, so I thought I would share a general approach to uncovering this here. 

Accountability is one of the least understood elements of effective progress and one that often creates a lot of hesitation in newer leaders, and avoidance in some seasoned ones. 

Let’s talk through some of the practical steps to holding a high bar for yourself, and building an organization infused with accountability…it’s a performance driver you just can’t skip.