The Transformational Leader

22Extreme Accountability Through Established Norms

Professional accountability is a good thing.

Without it, excellence is merely a pipe dream and even average performance isn't a realistic expectation.

—Leon Ellis

AT THE CORE of transformational leadership lies extreme accountability, a virtue that enhances individual performance and cultivates an environment conducive to collective growth. Instilling this virtue within a team requires establishing and nurturing norms, those unspoken yet clearly understood rules that guide behavior. This chapter delineates the importance of fostering accountability through established norms, paving the way for a thriving culture.

The absence of extreme accountability within a team harms trust, cooperation, and productivity, leading to a gradual deterioration. This fatal flaw reduces a leader's capacity to address problems and take immediate action, resulting in finger-pointing and denial.

Driving accountability is intrinsically tied to leadership, as leaders play a crucial role in establishing and upholding standards. Through their actions, leaders can either demonstrate a commitment to high standards or convey a lack of accountability. Often, organizations invest time and money in developing formal accountability policies and are shocked when things fall apart. The truth is that a leader's daily actions are far more influential in determining accountability than policies ever could be. Leaders who avoid responsibility shift the culture toward ...