Reply To: Distinctive Leadership II Discussion Board 1

[Amotsuka Caleb]

Being accountable means being answerable to the people you serve, both those above and those following you. This involves being transparent, open, and sometimes vulnerable to those we serve. This doesn’t mean the leader now takes orders from the followers or doesn’t take the initiative to solve problems for his superiors, rather it means serving in a way that shows the leader is true to the vision and is living by the same example and principles that are expected of others.
A leader can be accountable while having authority by:
1. Keeping to their words and commitments. A leader must do what he says he will do otherwise people will stop to trust him.
2. Live by the example that he teaches. A leader must be able to confidently tell his subordinates to do what he does and not just what he says. The leader must walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
3. Not making excuses for themselves. The leader must hold himself up to the same standard that others are held up to. In fact, a leader should hold himself up to a higher standard.

To maintain the balance between accountability and authority, a leader should do the following.
1. While exerting authority, one must remain accountable for the outcomes of those decisions.
It is sometimes easy to give commands and instructions to people and most people want to be in charge because this position looks attractive. A leader must however realize that while he has the authority to make decisions, he must also remain accountable for the outcome of those decisions and not blame others if things don’t turn out the way he desires. This is why a good leader collaborates widely with the team before making decisions to ensure he gets a wide perspective on the issue and gets the buy-in of those he is working with.

2. Even when we have authority over people, we must remain accountable to them in order not to slide into tyranny or dictatorship.
A good leader must also realize that power is good but as it is often said, absolute power corrupts. When a leader is not accountable to anyone, the leader is on a very slippery slope and can easily slide into tyranny because no one can question them.

3. While maintaining accountability, a leader must realize that popular opinion may not always be the right way to go and must be ready to exert their authority based on good principles and convictions.