Let’s talk about the language of accountability.
When we ask people to be accountable, we need to be crystal clear about what we expect from them—and that we actually expect it to be done. No wiggle room, no ambiguity.
Most people feel drained at the end of their workday, and a big reason for that is they’re constantly wondering: Can I trust John to do what John is supposed to do? Will Julie follow through? Is Tim going to drop the ball? When you don’t have that clarity, you go home exhausted. But if you know exactly how to approach John, Tim, and Julie—if you can go to each of them and say:
“John, by Tuesday at 2:00 PM, I need this report turned in. It should have these three columns, laid out this way, and the outcome should be XYZ. You’ll bring me a first draft on Monday so I can make sure it’s on the right track, and we’ll finalize it by 2:00 PM Tuesday. Is that clear? Is there any reason you wouldn’t be able to meet that commitment?”
If John says no? Great. I’m going to hold you to that commitment.
Now, Julie—same thing. See how that works?
Notice how speaking with authority doesn’t mean you have to outrank someone. You could be talking to your manager or even the CEO. It’s not about position—it’s about confidence. When people hear that kind of direct clarity, they respect it. They recognize, This person gets things done. They expect results. I don’t want to be the one to let them down. And when that mindset becomes the norm across an organization, miracles start happening.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I know there’s no magic pixie dust floating in the air. We’re not living in some fantasy land where everything changes overnight. But just because it’s not happening across your entire organization yet doesn’t mean you can’t be the one to start it.
And when you do? You’re going to feel amazing. You’ll go home at night thinking, What do I do with all this spare time? Because you’ve set clear expectations. You’ve made it obvious what you’re counting on people to deliver. And if they don’t follow through?
You step in. “John, you made a promise. Around here, a promise is the foundation of trust. Without trust, we don’t have a business relationship. You broke that trust. So tell me—what are you going to do to rebuild it? Because we can’t keep doing this. You get that, right?”
See, when you address issues head-on, you might actually be saving John’s job. Because if he doesn’t figure it out, he’ll eventually find out he doesn’t belong here—likely when he’s packing up his desk.
The truth is, we have an ethical obligation to hold our team members accountable for results. And the reason so many people avoid doing that? They don’t want to be held accountable themselves.
But here’s the thing—if you don’t want to be held accountable, someone will let you fail too. So now’s the time. Step up. Hold the people around you accountable, and expect them to do the same for you.
That’s how real change happens. Beautiful.