Some days, things go wrong and you have a split-second choice: own it or find a way out. Most of us, at some point, slip into excuse mode. I know I do.

Leaders set the tone. If you want a team that takes ownership, learns from mistakes, and improves performance, it starts with you.

Why this matters

Research shows 82% of people admit they find it hard to hold others accountable – they avoid it or fail at it. When managers obsess over metrics and neglect the behaviours that drive success, they create a culture of hitting numbers rather than doing what is right for the business, the customer, and the team.

True accountability is not about blame or punishment. It is about creating a team climate where people feel safe to take ownership, learn from mistakes, and focus on solutions. When that climate exists, your people step up, fix problems instead of hiding them, and go the extra mile because they care.

A quick pulse-check

• When something goes wrong, do you catch yourself blaming circumstances first?
• Do you model the “step up” behaviour you expect from your team?
• Do your conversations focus on solving problems or on pointing fingers?

If any of these feel familiar, you have an opportunity to shift the climate in your team.

The Accountability Steps

Below is a simple model that shows the path from victim behaviours to truly accountable ones.

1. I don’t know – “It is not clear to me who owns this”
2. Excuses – “I can’t because…”
3. Blame others – “They never gave me the information”
4. Wait and hope – “Maybe it will sort itself out”
5. Acknowledge reality – “Here’s what has happened”
6. Own it – “This is on me”
7. Find solutions – “What can we do about it?”
8. Make it happen – “Here’s the plan, let us go”

Each step up is a choice. Notice where you and your team spend most of your time, then challenge yourselves to move one step higher in the next conversation.

Try this with your team: Step-Up Stories

1. Draw two columns on a flipchart or virtual whiteboard labeled CURRENT STEP and NEXT STEP.
2. Ask each person to call out one recent “victim behaviour” they noticed (for example, “We blamed the system”). Write these under CURRENT STEP.
3. Then ask: “What would the next step up look like here?” Capture those under NEXT STEP (for example, “Acknowledge reality and propose a fix”).
4. Discuss how to practice that next-step behaviour in your next one-to-one or team meeting.

This makes accountability concrete, not abstract. And it creates a roadmap for your team to climb.

Final thought – leadership is a series of small choices

You do not have to transform an entire culture in a day. Change the climate in your team one choice at a time. When you model “above the line” behaviour and celebrate it in others, you create a ripple effect.

Accountability is not a rule to enforce. It is a choice you invite by building trust, curiosity, and learning into every conversation.

Want to go deeper?
Accountability is one of 30 + proven, practical sessions in our Ready to Go suite of management development topics. Built to help your managers lead with clarity, confidence, and care.
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