Rowley Associates

In his testimony on Capital Hill, Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan testified that his organization was responsible for the failure of security during President Obama’s first state dinner.  It many ways this shouldn’t be an earth-shattering event. A leader has admitted responsibility for something going wrong. Yet Sullivan is one of the few leaders who have demonstrated the moral fiber, or backbone, to admit a mistake. There seems to be an aversion for most leaders to take responsibility when things go wrong on their watch. Just look at Wall Street. Despite complete failure no one would admit accountability. The CEO’s hid behind employees and employees hid behind computer algorithms. It’s so bad that government, in the form of the Financial Services Committee, has to bring in legislation to bring accountability to Wall Street.

One company that has embraced accountability in recent months is GE. The global giant has been putting over 1,000 of its top executives through new training sessions to identify where it went wrong in the lead up to the recession. “It’s about being able to say, “We made mistakes, ”” said Christina Anderson, an executive attending one of the sessions.

How refreshing it is to hear leaders such as Sullivan and Anderson admit culpability and confess they have much to learn.

So how accountable are you? Do you:

• Force people to re-examine critical assumptions?
• Promote thinking, learning and reflection as key business competencies?
• Provide opportunities to learn from success and reflect on failures?
• Consider the moral and ethical consequences of decisions you make?
• Have the humility to take responsibility when things go wrong?

Accountability is job #1 for a leader. It’s a business fundamental many seem to conveniently ignore or forget. Maybe the example provided by the Secret Service and GE might prompt other leaders to reflect on the effect their behavior has on others; do they encourage accountability or instead role model hiding or blaming others as a way out.