"The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the cost of leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest.”
—GEORGE J. FLYNN, LIEUTENANT GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET.)
With the right paperwork signed and physicals completed, replete with 77 X-rays (that can’t be healthy), I drove off post. That was it. My time in the Army was over.
A friend, and former colleague, called me on my last deployment and told me he was taking a new job. One thing led to another, and he helped me make the very tricky transition from special forces to being a civilian.
I’m incredibly grateful for his trust. I was out of the game for almost a decade and found myself headed back into the restaurant business in NYC - arguably the most competitive market on the planet. And the team was large, 3,000.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was on the plane’s right side, second seat from the back. A window seat. With excitement and no small amount of anxiety, I started writing. Thinking about leadership and what it means to execute. I had “no idea” what to do when I got off that plane. I kept writing.
The result of that flight was the accountability formula. More than a decade later, I still lean on it. It’s easy to get upset, frustrated, and even angry when people don’t deliver. Before you do that, make sure it’s not your fault. Before we can hold people accountable, we owe them a great deal.
The Accountability Formula
Expectations
Describe excellence and be as specific as possible.
Whether you are onboarding a new associate or Chief Financial Officer, be clear on what you want so they can do it. That’s what you’d want, right?
Resources
Do they have what they need?
Time and money can solve most problems. Start there. Also, the physical things to do their work. If you want them to answer the phone, give them a phone. Seems like common sense, but it’s not always common.
Training
The highest leverage activity for a leader is training.
Spend your time there, and you will get it back 10x. Don’t do it, and you are throwing them into the blender. You will watch them spin until their frustration or yours forces them out. Train, train, train.
Feedback & Feedforward
We all want to know when we get it right and when we get it wrong.
Not all feedback is accurate or helpful, but keeping it from someone is unkind. Have the courage to give it early and often. Also, try this. Tell them what you want them to do going forward. Don’t dwell on the past, be clear on the future. By the way, feedback should not be one way. Make it safe for them to tell you how you can support them better. For new teammates, focus on how the two of you communicate. Chances are, you can be better.
Only AFTER you give expectations, resources, training, and feedback can you hold someone accountable. If you haven’t, it’s your fault. Not theirs.
Where else can you use this formula? Anywhere you lead is my answer. I’ve often think about how I got this wrong with the kids over the years. I think it applies there too.
Expectations + Resources + Training + Feedback = Accountability
Now here is the secret. If you want to help enable someone to do their life’s best work, sprinkle all that with inspiration. Inspire them with the mission, your example, your confidence, your patience, and most importantly - your love.
Take care, Kelly
PS - For the leaders I support, and I don’t say direct reports because our org chart is upside down, I share a document called “about us.” If you want that, email me.
Where does accountability start?