Self-Awareness Leads to Accountability

Watching the government almost shut down recently and listening to congressmen from both parties blame the other side while the country goes deeper into debt and nothing gets done, I’m really wondering where the accountability has gone.  Neither side is holding itself accountable to produce results that matter to the American citizen.

As leaders of organizations, we should be the role models of accountability for ourselves and to our employees.  So what would does it take for company leaders to hold themselves accountable? I suggest you start with some serious self-reflection.  To check how accountable you are as a leader, consider reflecting on the following questions:

(In a particular situation) what did I do that worked?  Why? What did I do that didn’t work?  Why not?  Taking stock of the facts helps you to hold yourself accountable based on the actions you took – both good and not so good.  Be honest with yourself.  If there was conflict or disappointment within the situation, resist the temptation to vindicate yourself.  Even if you think you were justified in whatever you did or didn’t do, what could you have done differently to decrease the conflict or increase the satisfaction with the situation for  yourself and others involved?

(In the particular situation) what can I learn about myself based on how I acted or reacted?  Reflecting on how you respond and react helps you to spot patterns that can lead to personal insights about what’s driving your reactions (motivation, fears, and desires).  Becoming aware of these deeper aspects of yourself and the behavioral patterns they lead to allows you to catch yourself in the act or even before you act/react and interject conscious thought to interrupt what might be a behavioral pattern that isn’t working for you.  The split second it takes to think about what we are getting ready to do or say, allows us to exercise choice – the choice to stay stuck in our unconscious patterns or to consciously create new solutions without reacting unconsciously.

(In the particular situation) what excuses did I make (in my head or out loud) for my own or my department’s bad results or failures?  As you identify the story you tell yourself, ask whether or not it’s really true.  What beliefs about yourself or others shore up your story.  Are those beliefs necessarily true?  When you examine the stories you tell yourself, you might just find that your reactions are based on unfounded beliefs about the situation. When you unpack those unfounded beliefs, it’s surprising how much more present you can remain in situations that previously caused you anger and stress.  Once you realize the Accounting department is not just a bunch of nimrods trying to jerk you around, you’ll work with them much more cooperatively and proactively.  In other words, don’t believe everything you think!

(In the particular situation) what did I do that might be part of my typical behavioral patterns?  Do you tune out when stressed and retreat?  Do you come across as overly-critical of others?  Do you consciously or unconsciously intimidate others?  No matter your behavioral patterns, you’re probably doing unto others what you don’t want done to you.  Be aware of these patterns and how they shape your interactions with others.

(In the particular situation) what could I have done instead of my typical pattern? If I change my typical reaction pattern, what do I think might happen? Once you’ve identified behavioral patterns that may not be serving you, try an alternative way of responding.  Instead of frequently pushing yourself beyond your limits, what would happen if you take a breather once in a while or take a day off for fun?  Instead of fearing you’ll disappoint others, what if you said “no” more often or try making your doubts known at the outset?  Instead of appearing intimidating, what would happen if you conceded a point to someone else without trying to justify yourself and let them “win”? Letting go of our usual ways of being and doing what feels like the opposite of what we are programmed to do is a practice that help us realize that our typical maladaptive behaviors may have served us when we were younger, but they just might be getting in the way of holding ourselves truly accountable as adults.

The self-aware leader is an accountable leader.  The more you model what real accountability is, the more likely your employees are to own their results without excuse, too.