Kathy Brooke, co-founder of Be Your Own Coach, explores what true accountability looks like in leadership in her final column for this month’s leadership series. She argues that simply setting targets or giving instructions isn’t enough and shares practical tips leaders can use to inspire commitment, drive, and lasting impact across their teams.
To round up our March theme of Leadership, let’s land this with the real tell-tale sign of great leadership – an empowered and accountable team!
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the importance of trust and honesty in leadership. From building new relationships right through to giving difficult feedback, trust and honesty are two of the most crucial traits in leadership, and when these traits are authentically executed, we see teams thrive. But what do we actually mean when we say ‘thrive’?
READ MORE: Prolific Mindset: why clarity is the key to meaningful feedback
Well, I guess the most obvious measurement of ‘thrive’ would be the extrinsic measures of targets, metrics and KPIs (we are working in businesses after all, so these things are pretty darn important). However, these ‘numbers’ are often the result of something bigger. Something more intrinsic.
Drive and accountability.
On the surface, accountability can be described as being accountable for one’s actions – a sense of responsibility and ownership, and even the acceptance of consequence. However, from my experience working with some incredible teams, real accountability shows up as something much deeper.
It is the inner desire to succeed. The passionate commitment to problem-solve and challenge. The determined belief that what they do – and how they do it – really matters.
So how then, as a leader, can we inspire our teams to reach this holy grail?
I’ve broken this down into three main ingredients:
Clarity of vision
Sounds obvious, right? But I’m not talking about the task-related goals of the job – I am talking about the bigger picture.
The most celebrated leaders I have worked with ensure that their teams know the ‘WHY’ of their role and responsibilities, and what they bring to the bigger picture. Again, not just the aims of their department, but how this contributes to the bigger mission of the business. How their role is integral to the growth, longevity, reputation and ultimately the success of the business.
Now, this doesn’t mean they sit down once a quarter with a slideshow presentation, but it does mean that in day-to-day conversations, feedback and decision-making processes, everything links back to the bigger picture and the impact they are making.
Ownership and autonomy
Picture this: you are in a meeting with your leader and they have shared how your contribution is integral to the success of the company. You have both discussed why and where you make an impact, and you feel pretty darn fired up and excited to get started!
Then, your leader heads to a to-do list of ‘HOW’ you will go about the job. No conversation, no collaboration – just a step-by-step process for you to robotically execute.
Instantly, all of that fire, passion and drive drains away, and you shuffle back to your desk counting down the hours until it’s home time!
As soon as we instruct people, we lose their buy-in and accountability, because it’s no longer coming from themselves. We also see a huge drop in problem-solving and creative thinking – because as soon as there is a problem, that individual will just come straight back to the manager or leader to fix it… after all, they are just following instructions!
To really empower teams, we want them to be part of every process (where possible). This means dedicating time to collaborate and create a plan on HOW that person will achieve success. What actions and behaviours do they feel will be needed to drive forward? How do they plan on overcoming challenges and hurdles? What do they need from you as a leader?
By investing time in these conversations, we gain a team who are accountable to themselves and their pledge. They are inspired, ambitious, and present ideas and solutions – not problems. It also allows us, as leaders, to gain a better understanding of the individual – their values and passions – so that if and when support is needed, we are able to tailor this to suit that person.
Consistency
Ok, so this one is probably the most underrated yet integral leadership element when building a driven and empowered team. Consistency in leadership means behaving in a reliable, predictable and steady way so that people know what to expect from you. This is fundamental for building trust, which in turn empowers your team to push out of comfort zones, challenge ideas, and take ownership without fear of how it might be received.
When leaders are inconsistent – praising one day, critical the next, or changing expectations without explanation – it creates uncertainty. And uncertainty is the fastest way to erode confidence and accountability within a team.
Consistency doesn’t mean being rigid or inflexible. In fact, the best leaders I’ve seen are adaptable in their approach but unwavering in their values. It’s about showing up with the same intent, the same standards, and the same level of fairness, regardless of the situation. It’s following through on what you say you’ll do, holding people to clear expectations (their version of the HOW), and role modelling the behaviours you want to see.
So, when you reflect on your leadership style (or maybe your leadership ambitions), take a moment to question and explore how you might be creating the conditions for accountability to truly thrive. Because when you get this right, you don’t just build high-performing teams – you build teams who care, who challenge, and who take real pride in what they do.
Well, that’s all folks! I just want to say a huge thank you to Prolific North for the opportunity to share these thoughts over the past few months. It’s been a genuine pleasure to be part of the conversation.
If anything in this series has resonated – from leadership to presenting, coaching to confidence – I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn (Kathy Brooke Coaching) or drop me a message at [email protected] – it would be great to hear from you!
