Accountability in the Workplace Is an Act of Love

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and our thoughts will soon turn to the idea of love. It’s unlikely that we’ll make the connection between love and accountability in the workplace. But perhaps we should.

Where am I getting this connection from? Patrick Lencioni speaks about accountability in the December 2019 episode of his podcast, At the Table with Lencioni. Toward the end of the discussion, Lencioni claims that “accountability is an act of love.” This frames accountability in a whole new — and important — perspective, particularly in the workplace.

Let’s explore the idea of accountability as an act of love further.

Understanding Accountability

Accountability is necessary to lead a productive life, but it doesn’t come naturally to human beings. Instead, we seek out others to hold us accountable. This pushes us to take responsibility for all that we do, whether it’s in our work, our actions, or our decisions.

According to Mark Biddinger, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Cedarville University, accountability builds trust, improves performance, inspires confidence, and promotes ownership of work. Biddinger also points out that accountability is a two-way street and a key aspect of leadership.

To be a good leader, understanding the reciprocal relationship of accountability is critical. It’s just as important for you to hold your team accountable as it is for them to hold you accountable. The adage, “Do as I say, not as I do,” won’t fly as a good leader.

Yes, despite what some people in leadership roles want to believe, accountability is needed in all directions. It’s both top-down and bottom-up as well as across and within teams. As Mike Henry once asked, “If you messed up, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you?”

Lessons in Love & Leadership

What Lencioni, Biddinger, and Henry are emphasizing is that love is an action verb. If we really care about the people we work with, we must take action demonstrating that we’re accountable for each other. After all, love is about wanting the best for someone else. This is an important lesson in both life and leadership.

Last summer, the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) chose 20 young professionals to take part in its Emerging Leaders Program, an initiative that the CrossGroup helped facilitate. For seven months, participants worked their way, virtually, through an intensive leadership training curriculum.

Among the lessons these burgeoning leaders learned was a deeper understanding of accountability. One participant, Anali Martinez Gonzalez, a young civil engineer, now has a greater appreciation for the love and reciprocity that comes with accountability.

“Leadership,” Gonzalez says, “means being a member of a team and supporting your team with anything they may need to do their job better. Being a leader means understanding that leading a group of people also means being a part of that group.”

Where’s the Love?

The value of accountability hasn’t always been clear to me. In the past, I didn’t think I needed someone looking over my shoulder to make sure I did my job. I felt that I was a responsible employee who went beyond expectations and always gave 100%.

However, my perspective changed when someone introduced me to the thought that in a healthy, effective team we’re accountable for each other much more than to each other. We all need feedback. Otherwise, we live with blind spots that are never addressed.

For example, what happens if you have an employee who’s underperforming? You could just fill in the gaps and correct the mistakes yourself. You could also leave the employee to their devices and make no waves. However, neither path will result in the betterment of the employee, and there’s no love in that. In fact, Lencioni calls such a lack of accountability an act of selfishness.

A better approach would be to, from a place of accountability and love, inform the employee of the issue, coach them, and support them in finding solutions and building new work habits. You’d appreciate the same response from your own boss, I’m sure.

On his podcast, Lencioni talks about how people with children understand accountability. His message can also be applied to the people with whom you work; not in the sense of treating them like children, but rather in the sense of helping them grow.

“If you love them,” Lencioni says, “you have to hold them accountable, it’s the only way they’re going to get better.” If [you] don’t want to be the one that they blame for feeling bad or [you] don’t want to be a part of that conversation . . . [you] will let them continue without improvement, and that’s not an act of love.”

Share the Love

During this season of love, show you care by having some difficult conversations with your coworkers. Be vulnerable enough to ask for their honest feedback. Ask them to hold you accountable. When they share their thoughts, receive them in the spirit of love, without defensiveness. Then, do the same for them.

Remember, love is putting someone else’s welfare above your own. I dare you to give this a try. Love your coworkers at all levels — from your bosses to your peers to your direct reports — by sharing compassionate feedback and holding them accountable.

How have you been held accountable lately? Share your story in the comments.