Accountability cannot be imposed, demanded, or coerced. It is an inevitable outgrowth of freedom. As leaders try to hold their people accountable, it puts people on the defensive and unintentionally produces a victim culture. The very act of holding someone accountable leaves no room for the individual to own their actions or the result. Even the most accountable among us naturally push back. People deliver on what they own. As a leader, one of your main jobs is to foster ownership of the things that matter most. That won’t happen if you continue to try to hold your associates accountable.
