Principles are the codes by which we live our lives. Some of the principles we live by are programmed into us by our parents, others we pick up along the way. Some principles require work, practice, and intention. Others are simply ingrained in us and we practice them without even realizing it. As a company, we at IMS operate inside of a set of culture principles that give us a playbook for what we’re going to do and who we’re going to be. In order for principles to be more than just words in a company handbook or beautifully stenciled noise on the walls of a corporate office, they need to be practiced, trained and tested. They need to be lived. In this series, I’ll explore several of our IMS principles as well as a few others that have been top of mind. Today: Accountability.
Of all the principles we’ve discussed in this series, Accountability may be the mack-daddy of them all. Because accountability is what it all comes down to. We’ve talked about respect and honor, integrity and responsibility. None of them are possible if you’re not also practicing the principle of accountability: What you answer to. Don’t confuse it with responsibility. They’re like kissing cousins. Responsibility is holding yourself accountable for the results of your decisions or actions. Accountability is actually answering to those results, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Accountability is the cornerstone for establishing trust, respect, and integrity. It’s about being mindful of blaming others, feeling sorry for ourselves, or having no belief in ourselves and instead, aligning our thoughts, emotions, communication, and action with vision.
Accountability in the workplace, at all levels, is key. I don’t care if you're the assistant to the mailroom assistant or the CEO of the company, holding yourself accountable for how you perform will directly inform your trajectory of success. Maybe you’ve just got your foot in the door, the new guy (or gal), you’re learning the ropes, getting the lay of the land, you get the idea. Normally, the question would be, how are you going to show up? Eager, open, ready to dive in headfirst? Or do you roll in a couple minutes late, avoid engaging with your coworkers, and bury your face in your phone while the boss delivers your team’s quarterly performance review? But when we talk about accountability, it’s not about how you choose to show up, but rather how you’re going to answer to the results your actions or behaviors create.
Look, if you show up as the latter, late, aloof, glued to your phone, you’re going to get called out on it. So the question becomes, how are you going to hold yourself? You could stick to your guns, be defensive, say, “Hey man, I’m just living my truth.” And that’s fine. But be prepared to lose your job. That’s what you’re going to answer to. You could be indignant, incredulous, march out of the boss’s office saying something like, “You’ll rue the day!” That’s all good. But understand your behavior will likely find its way to the attention of future employers making it harder to find a new job. That’s what you’re going to answer to.
But when you train accountability, you answer to your actions in a different way. When your behavior creates an undesirable outcome for your team, and you get called out on it, you don’t look to blame someone else or tell a story about how you’re being treated unfairly. Instead you see it as a moment for reflection, to ask yourself, What effect is my behavior having? What can I learn about myself? What is the lesson here? And hey, I’m not saying it’s always easy. No one likes being called to the principal’s office. But the more you train a principle of accountability, the more natural it becomes until it’s simply a part of your way of being.
Rising through the ranks, getting yourself into a position of leadership, not only means more responsibilities, it also means more accountability. Not only for yourself, but for everyone under your leadership. You’re the project head for a major campaign, three different departments following your lead, and Darren in community outreach keeps blowing his deadlines. Sure, Darren will have to answer to his actions, but so will you. You’re the team leader. Before you write Darren off as a lazy bum, ask yourself, Is there something I’m missing? Is there a way I can better communicate with or support Darren? Is there a better strategy I can utilize to light him up about getting the job done?
It should go without saying that accountability is paramount for having healthy relationships. A relationship is built on honesty and trust, and those things can only be developed when we hold ourselves accountable for our actions. Think about it, you meet someone, spend some time getting to know each other, and you notice that when it comes to owning their decisions and behavior, they have an awful lot of stories to tell. They lost a promotion at work because the boss has it out for them. They can’t get on top of their credit card bills because the banks are corrupt. In fact, it appears that they bear no responsibility for anything that happens in their life and don’t have anything to account to! Talk about red flags. Is this really someone you want to invest in? If the answer is yes, then guess what? You’re going to be accountable for whatever comes of that.
If you’re in an established, long-term relationship, like a marriage, practicing accountability goes a long way when all the normal challenges of a long-term relationship arise. Let’s face it, in twenty, thirty, forty years of marriage, not every day is torn from the pages of a fairy tale. Nerves can be rattled, buttons can be pushed, shit’s gonna happen, right? The way you show up in the aftermath is far more important than whatever caused the dust up in the first place. You’ve been promising to clear out the attic, your wife wants to put stuff out for the block yard sale on Saturday. You come home Friday to find her coming down the ladder from the attic, carrying a box that’s way too heavy, covered in dust and spider webs and she. is. pissed.
What’s important in this moment is not your life flashing before your eyes, it’s how you’re going to show up. Right now you’re answering to not fulfilling your promise. But how you answer to it will decide whether you spend the next week sleeping on the couch. You could turn it around on her, “I was gonna do it if you’d just get off my back.” (Good luck there.) You could play dumb, “Was that this weekend?” (Not going to cut it.) Or, you could just be accountable, apologize for dropping the ball, and get your butt up that ladder.
And then there’s health and the body. It may seem that when we’re talking about our health, we’re only accountable to ourselves. Afterall, we’re the ones that have to live with the results of the health decisions we make. But it’s actually more complicated than that. Your employer depends on you showing up for work healthy and ready to perform. If you show up every other day hungover or you miss weeks at a time because of some chronic illness, you’re going to have to answer to that. Your family wants you to be around, to be healthy, to be able to participate and be present. If you’re missing out because there’s always another health issue, you’re going to have to answer to that.
How about this one? The world needs you to pay attention to your health. Yeah, I went there. The state of health in the world, particularly in the United States, is pretty sickening, pardon the pun. And guess what? It costs a lot of money. Billions upon billions of dollars are spent every year treating health problems that are entirely avoidable. In fact, if you have trouble finding the motivation to clean up your diet or get on a fitness regimen, try holding yourself accountable to something bigger than yourself. To get yourself into a place of health and vitality so that you’re a vibrant contributor, financially, emotionally, and otherwise, to your family, to your friends, to society.
I work with high-achievers. People at the top of their game. My clients are individuals who want to make an impact—whether it is on their family, their community or the world at large—they have a drive and desire to be exceptional, and they want RESULTS. Part of creating those results is developing and training a principle of Accountability. This principle is so central to our work that we train it at every one of our Power Series Weekend Intensives. Click HERE to check out the Power Series and find your fit for an upcoming in-person or virtual weekend.
Another place I go deep into training principles is with the Elite Cohort, a group of up to 20 individuals who drive together through a year-round curriculum led by yours truly. These folks want to optimize every area of life, and we get results. You can find more information at joeyklein.com/elite-cohort, and book an Alignment Call to explore what’s possible. I firmly believe that everyone deserves to live a life they love.
