#BEWAContentCreationChallenge2022
#BEWAFestDay19
#LEADERSHIP
ACCOUNTABILITY
All through last week, we had dealt extensively on the various qualities a leader must possess if he or she has to think leadership.
Some of these qualities include: Teachability, Vision, Communication; which came in two forms; Speaking and Listening, Integrity, Humility.
There's a progression and we'll follow through.
One may wonder why all these qualities, the answer is not far from the fact that there's no leadership without these qualities.
They are the bedrock on which leadership stands, hence, it's consideration.
Today we will look at another quality,
ACCOUNTABILITY:
Many may cringe at this probably because it has a connection with having to be answerable to a person or group of people.
The human nature really doesn't appreciate accountability, this is because, humans like freedom.
They rarely would want anyone watching over them like a search dog, they like to rule over their actions, words, they like to have control over themselves, so suggesting the idea of accountability to them is more or less like depriving them of freedom, and this doesn't sit well with them.
If you check carefully, you won't find a place where accountability is being mentioned without "responsibility" being placed side by side.
This shows that once you assume any position as a leader, whether a big position or little position, you have automatically signed up for accountability, you can't rule it out.
This is the Leadership rule.
Leadership is responsibility and responsibility requires accountability.
Accountability means being answerable to the actions and decisions made by you and by those you lead.
It means having both the vision of a leader, and the resourcefulness to execute on it.
I'll begin with the accountability of a leader with respect to his actions.
There is this thing that usually happens, most times when people do things, example something good, and they're being praised for it, they immediately own up to the glory, they try as much as possible to make everyone around them notice the fact that they've done something good.
The reverse is the case when something not so pleasant happens.
That same leader who never hesitated to own up to the good deeds seems a little reluctant to admit to his or her flaws which stems from a decision he or she had made.
Let's not forget in a hurry what our definition says about accountability, "being answerable to one's decisions and actions".
It is "YOUR" decision, why shy away from it?.
Leadership will demand you take the blame, own up, learn from your mistakes, effect corrections if need be, and move on.
This is true leadership.
Still on the definition, "being answerable to the decisions and actions made by you and THOSE YOU LEAD".
The first was about the leader being accountable for his actions and decisions, now it's the about the leader being accountable for the actions and decisions of "those he's leading".
This doesn't really sound as easy as presented, but this is the price leaders have to pay.
Permit me to digress at this point. Remember the story of Jesus while He was on earth.
Like the bible records, "He who knew no sin was made sin". This is deep.
Jesus was very intentional about his leadership role here on earth.
He was held accountable for the sins of the people he led, a sin he never committed, this may not play out in the same manner in this dispensation, but it's just a pointer that Jesus never shrunk when this happened.
He understood the concept of accountability.
The moment you accept to lead people, automatically, you're answerable to their actions as long as that role is concerned.
Wiki records that, In governance, accountability has expanded beyond the basic definition of "being called to account for one's actions".
It is frequently described as an account giving relationship between individuals, e.g. "A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A's (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct" and more.
Accountability cannot exist without proper accounting practices; in other words, an absence of accounting means an absence of accountability.
Another key area that contributes to accountability is good records management.
This exactly explains the fact that there are conditions, you cannot be accountable( your followers will not be accountable to you) if there's no trace of accountability on your part.
This has everything to do with trust.
Learn to be accountable as a leader.
