WHAT IS ACCOUNTABILITY LEADERSHIP?

Like servant leaders, accountability leaders are ones who seek understanding and provide ongoing guidance to their teams. It is a style of leadership that values the input of each individual team member and fosters relationships across the organization. These leaders elevate others by listening, observing, and addressing the needs that arise.

The opposite of inclusive leadership is top-down management. In this style, managers direct and delegate without including their people in the decision-making process. Top-down managers inadvertently become micromanagers when using these methods. Rather than establishing inclusivity, these leaders use a hands-off approach to leadership, and accountability is unintentionally lost.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND SELF-EXAMINATION

Inclusive leaders seek to remove barriers and encourage people to reach their maximum potential. By training staff, leaders prepare team members to become leaders themselves. Inclusivity and accountability go hand in hand, so by positioning team members to lead, we bake in accountability to their roles and responsibilities, establishing buy-in from team members included in the process of defining roles and responsibilities. Just like parents teach their children, leaders teach their teams independence and set expectations in leading by example. Accountability is built into organizations that clearly define roles and responsibilities.

Leaders have to be willing to self-examine and make the changes and adjustments they expect from their team members. Being humble is a key trait of an inclusive leader. We must admit when something isn’t working and make the appropriate changes. Leading by example will empower the team members to work with the same set of values and expectations.

TRAITS OF ACCOUNTABILITY LEADRSHIP

The nature of medical practices is that we are dependent on others to be successful. Each person is part of a continuum of activities. We are dependent on the person before and after us – collaboration and teamwork are essential. Leaders must know how to showcase and inspire teamwork and collaboration. Having regular touch points and check-ins will make leaders situationally aware. They will see what is going well and what is not going well.

Meanwhile, we can’t expect team members to come to us; we have to be out in the field with them. Subtle nuances in the practice become quickly clearer when we spend time with staff during day-to-day operations. By meeting with individual team members and asking and observing what and how they perform their roles, we can mentor and guide them to maximize flow and efficiency.

Some additional traits of inclusive leaders are:

  • Listening
  • Loyalty
  • Personal Accountability
  • Empathy
  • Authenticity
  • Honesty
  • Emotional Maturity
  • Selflessness

MEASURING SUCCESS

Once we have established trust with our teams, leaders can begin to recognize what each person’s highest and best use is within the organization. We communicate what “great” looks like and define those roles and responsibilities in a measurable way. We manage specific objectives or metrics. This builds an accountable culture by enabling staff to have a clear understanding of their objectives and report them back to their leader.

CONCLUSION

As leaders, we must make decisions for the greater good, and that may not always be personally good for individual team members. However, we must keep the organizational health in perspective and be good stewards of the practice. Leaders who value the input of their team members and include them in the evolution of growth will find their teams leading themselves with accountability and measuring success along the way.

DOES YOUR PRACTICE’S LEADERSHIP CONSISTENTLY VALUE THE INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBER?