Advancing in the 6 CORE Leadership Skills – Skill 6: Holding Self and Team Accountable
Accountability is not something you enforce; it is something you build together. It is not about calling people out. It is about calling them in to ownership, to clarity, to commitment. When done well, accountability does not feel like pressure. It feels like alignment. It feels like, We said this mattered. Let’s follow through.
The final CORE Leadership Skill of Holding Self and Team Accountable is anchored by the CORE Leadership Qualities of Conviction + Compassion.
Why It Matters
Accountability is the backbone of performance. It is what turns good intentions into consistent action. Without it, priorities drift, standards soften, and people begin to wonder if follow-through really matters.
Strong accountability is not about pressure or policing. It is about partnership. It is rooted in belief, supported by structure, and carried out with consistency. At its best, accountability does not feel like a spotlight. It feels like a steady hand on your back, guiding, not shoving.
Leaders who do this well do not just set standards; they live them. They do not disappear once expectations are stated. They stay close enough to coach when things veer off track and steady enough to own their part when outcomes fall short. They model what it looks like to follow through, not perfectly, but consistently.
How to Strengthen This Skill
Run a weekly focus meeting: Set a rhythm that builds traction. In your next team meeting, dedicate 20–30 minutes to align on what's moving, what's next, and who’s owning what.
Show the work, not just the talk: Use a shared tracker, whiteboard, or digital dashboard to make progress visible.
Delegate by time, not deadline: Instead of saying, “Have it by Friday,” try, “Can you spend 30 minutes on this by tomorrow and send me your early take?”
Name the gap with curiosity, not blame: When something slips, don’t rush to judgment. Say: “We said this mattered, and it didn’t land. What got in the way?”
Model public ownership: Start by going first. At your next check-in, name one thing you missed or dropped, and what you’re doing to reset.
Link accountability to who you are, not just what you do: Remind your team: “Being accountable isn’t just about tasks. It’s about being the kind of team that shows up for what we said matters.”
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Visibility builds mutual trust, not micromanagement.
The goal isn’t to assign fault. It’s to build clarity, trust, and a better plan for next time.
Framing accountability as part of your identity makes it easier to live and harder to ignore.
How can you make team commitments more visible so that everyone is on the same page?
What are some ways in which you can show your team that you also take ownership and accountability?
A Final Word About the 6 CORE Leadership Skills
At the end of the day, you can’t build all six skills at once. The real work is choosing the one that matters most right now and committing to it. The point is not to chase perfection; it’s to create traction. Pick the skill that will make the biggest difference for you and your team, and go all in. Do it consistently. Notice the impact. Build from there.
