My boss says I have great leadership potential and is encouraging me to build my skills and abilities to get in line for a promotion.  Of the nine characteristics of a leader identified by our company, the one that has me somewhat baffled is personal accountability.  I know this means taking ownership for my actions but when I asked my boss how else I can demonstrate this quality or what skills I should be working on, he gave me a vague answer.  I don’t want my boss to think I’m too stupid to understand this concept so I’m hoping you can help me out with some ideas.

Personal accountability certainly includes taking ownership for your actions.  However, when preparing to move into a leadership role, there’s a great deal more to take into account.

Understand expectations – Know what’s expected of your role, including areas of responsibility, level of authority, and anticipated outcomes.  Whenever your role changes, make sure to clarify how the change impacts what others expect of you.

Walk the talk - Do what you say you’ll do when you say you’ll do it—no excuses.  You will earn the trust, respect and support of your co-workers at all levels.

Work on what you can control--you – Your behaviors and your attitude are your responsibility.  Work on behaviors that support co-worker and team success, as well as common goals.  Keep a positive attitude—it’s empowering and infectious.  Change the negative “There’s nothing I can do”, to the positive “What are my other options?”

Admit your mistakes – Accept the consequences and learn from mistakes.  Figure out what actions you need to take to prevent a repeat of the mistake in the future.  Avoid blame and finger pointing.

Become a collaborative problem-solver – Don’t rely on others to solve your problems.  Constructively confront problems with people and involve all appropriate parties in the problem-solving process.  Recognize when you need help and ask for it.  Enhance your problem-solving skills with training.

Be proactive - Consider the potential consequences (positive and negative) of your actions before you act.  Think about the impact of your actions on co-workers, the organization and customers.  Be ready with Plan B.

Studies show that people who hold themselves personally accountable are more productive, make better leaders, and experience greater job satisfaction because they feel that they have control over their destiny.

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