Some leaders long for accountability while others seem to shun it. We all need accountability. We all need someone to care for our souls, to remind us of our commitments, and to help us evaluate our development and decisions. Wise leaders receive accountability while foolish leaders refuse it. By receiving or refusing accountability, leaders are receiving or refusing care, development, and the ability to make adjustments. So when you consider your appetite for accountability, here are four questions to ask yourself:
1. Do I want to receive or refuse care?
While receiving questions about your integrity can feel intrusive, they are always good for the leader. Those who refuse accountability are simultaneously refusing care. By attempting to lead in isolation, foolish leaders refuse care for their own souls.
2. Do I want to receive or refuse development?
Those who study and write about development emphasize the importance of feedback. A leader’s growth accelerates as feedback is given in the midst of the leading. A leader who shuns accountability is a leader who shuns his/her own development.
3. Do I want to receive or refuse course corrections?
No leader is infallible. A wise leader wants to make course corrections to better fulfill the responsibilities being stewarded.
4. Do I want to receive or refuse more credibility?
If a leader is not accountable, the leader will soon not be credible. When word seeps out that a leader believes he/she is above being questioned, credibility soon dissipates. On the other hand, leaders who receive counsel and correction gain credibility.
So when you consider your appetite for accountability, consider all the implications. Refusing accountability means refusing care, development, and credibility.
