There Is a Shortage of Accountability – Be Responsible
Your clients will love you if you insist on being accountable for your own actions. Your clients look to you as a leader. They depend upon you to lead them to their goals safely and on time.
One of the key components of leadership is accountability.
If you hold yourself accountable for everything you say and do, people will respond favorably. It is so refreshing to hear someone take responsibility for his or her own actions. If you properly manage your accountability, you don’t need to worry about managing your reputation. Your reputation will be a reflection of your conduct.
Listen to this audio episode or read the transcript below to learn about the shortage of accountability in our society.
I think we agree that there is a shortage of accountability in our society.
There are too few people willing to be responsible for their own actions. Why is that? As Mac Davis said in his 1980 song, it’s hard to be humble. Explaining our actions to others is an admission of sorts. It is a humbling experience. Letting people see the real us can be humbling, as well.
To not feel the need to be accountable is arrogant and humility removes that arrogance.
Humility is the absence of pride. Blaming something or someone besides ourselves has an expiration date. People get tired of it. That’s how we lose respect and that’s eventually how we get fired. Be a rebel after work. Be a mensch while around your clients.
Leaders take ownership.
You can’t control the stock market, but you can control your reaction to it. When the market takes a hit, your clients don’t want excuses. They want positive leadership. You are expected to conduct yourself professionally at all times. Hold your clients’ hands and get them to stable ground.
If something you recommend doesn’t work out, own up.
You are not paid to be right all the time. Do not get defensive and blame it on the market, the economy or interest rates. When you admit to being wrong, you are telling the other person that you have learned, that you are smarter than you were yesterday.
The point is simple. Don’t wait for your clients to hold you accountable. Hold yourself accountable. It makes for a stronger relationship.
We are not restricted to being responsible to others.
We have to be responsible to ourselves. Specifically, we must be responsible for our own success. We all have the power to determine how our careers turn out. It’s up to us to try to maximize our potential.
Don’t wait for anyone to empower you, client, boss or colleague.
No excuses. No blame. Face in the right direction and start walking.
Over this coming weekend, write an article explaining what you did during the week; the decisions you made and the actions you took, both in your professional life and your private life. Be frank.
When you are done, decide if you would have a problem with that article being published in your local newspaper. If you sense a problem with your letter being published, consider making some changes in your life.
As William Purkey said, you’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching.
If you need help to be responsible, join Don Connelly 24/7 to develop your soft skills, including accountability.
