Accountability is a tough term.
When most leaders say, “We need more accountability,” their team doesn’t hear partnership or clarity. They hear:
- We’re in trouble.
- They don’t trust us.
- Here comes the finger wagging.

Thesaurus.com’s first synonym for hold accountable is “to place blame for wrongdoing.”
Oof.

Not exactly the essence of a healthy culture. Yet accountability is absolutely mission critical. Results, reliability, and trust all depend on it. So how do we reframe accountability into something that empowers rather than intimidates?
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1) Redefine accountability as being “count-on-able.”

Start with a new shared definition:
Accountability = being someone others can count on.

This taps into something people want—to be seen as dependable, trustworthy, and solid.
Invite a conversation around this idea. Ask your team:

• What can people count on you for?
• What do you want to be known for?

Model it first:
“You can count on me to consider the best interest of the team.”
“You can count on me to care about you as a human being.”

And, if your psychological safety container can hold it, explore the other side too:
What can people not count on you for?
(This part is humbling—but incredibly liberating.)

This shift alone takes accountability from a top-down compliance mechanism to a bottom-up expression of personal pride.
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2) Clarify character and competency expectations.

Ambiguity undermines accountability.
Be explicit about what “good work” looks like—both technically and behaviorally.

Don’t let circumstances define commitment.
Being busy is not a pass for being unkind, uncivil, or careless.

Integrate character and competency expectations thoughtfully into your performance conversations and reviews. When people know what’s expected, they can rise to it.
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3) See accountability as witnessing struggle—and responding with support.

When someone is struggling, most leaders are told to “hold them accountable.”
But what does that even mean?
Hold them in check? Hold their feet to the fire?

Instead, think:
Support. Coach. Guide. Partner.

And yes—to a point.
If someone repeatedly fails to deliver or continues unkind behavior without consequence, things get wonky fast.

Silence becomes permission.
Low standards become the norm.
Identity and pride erode.
Caring slips.
Mediocrity sets in.

This is why Close the Gap conversations matter so much. They interrupt the slide and restore integrity—to the individual and the team.
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4) Witness success just as intentionally.

Accountability isn’t only about correcting gaps.
It’s also about noticing and celebrating wins—especially the small, quiet, everyday ones.

When you see success, acknowledge it with sincerity.
You get more of what you celebrate.
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5) And finally: leaders are accountable for accountability.

This one stings a little, but it’s essential:
As a leader, you set the standard for what’s acceptable.

Your team takes its cues from you.
Take time to reflect:

• Where do I keep my commitments? Where don't I?
• Where do I avoid difficult conversations?
• What is my personal relationship to accountability?
• Where might I be modeling the very gap I want my team to close?

C.S. Lewis said it beautifully:

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for a bird to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. You cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”

Empowering accountability is about helping your team hatch—gently, firmly, and consistently—into their next, best version.

Don't use accountability to shame or manipulate.

Use it to help people grow, stretch, and soar.
When framed well, accountability becomes a pathway to pride, integrity, and self-trust.

Ready to learn the exact steps to guide someone through a character or competency gap?

Check out our Close the Gap Accountability Framework—our digital tool that shows you how to support, coach, and partner with team members toward genuine growth.