Accountability

I was reminded today about how easily and pervasively people pass the buck for actions that are quite within their control. 'Accountability' was the number one chapter in my leadership book "L is for Leader' (ISBN 141209075-X) and worth repeating here.

I opened that chapter by saying... Accountability is a powerful quality. In the course of working with leaders in large, small, private, public and not-for-profit organizations one thing has stood out, time after time. Namely, the respect gained by leaders who admit their mistakes and accept responsibility for the outcomes. I went on to say... The leader who is truly accountable will own their part in the situation, will accept the limits or lack of flexibility within their organization and still step forward with some accountable dialogue. I continued a bit later by saying... This type of accountability has a huge spin-off throughout the rest of the organization. As other people see this example of leadership, it almost entirely removes fear - the fear of being penalized, ridiculed and held up for example. And as we all know, fear stifles creativity and growth and eliminates the courage to act. If fear of failure is removed, if punishment is eliminated, if ridicule is stamped out, then people will go out on a limb to try to improve the way in which they do business. By showing it's okay to make errors - by accepting the part you, as leader, have played - it goes a long way to creating strong, highly regarded leaders.

So let me take you to the story that promped me to write this blog.

Near where I live on Vancouver Island is the scenic Malahat highway that is frequently subjected to traffic accidents and closures; yesterday a serious tanker accident caused a 22 hour shut down as it lay on it's side spewing it's load of fuel into the adjacent salmon spawning river. Thankfully no-one was killed. But the same can not be said for the salmon. The entire river, from the point of impact through to the estuary, has been contaminated. It will take years for it to be restored.

Quickly the public outcry was heard with demands for an improvement to this winding road which snakes through a beautiful park.

Widen it, they cry.
Straighten it, they plea.
Install barriers, they insist.
Build another route, they demand.

Yet upon reflection, it is obvious the 'fault' lies not with the road, which is after all an inactive participant. The responsibility rests with the drivers, the active participants who choose not to follow or abide by the posted signs. I have driven this road on hundreds of occasions and have lost count of the number of people who swing out to pass at the first opportunity, regardless of the road conditions or visibility; rushing to get to their destination five minutes earlier!

So here we are with yet another accident on this beautiful scenic highway; hundreds of commuters inconvenienced for hours and still people are clamouring for a solution that will cost thousands of dollars. No doubt the driver will have independent representation, seeking for find a scapegoat so the driver can avoid accountability; a pattern we have all seen played out before.

I am hoping that once, just once, a driver who causes one of these un-necessary accidents will say, "I screwed up, I am to blame, I made a bad decision". But I'm not holding my breath!