Say it’s not so! Another series of national challenges and everyone is scratching their heads about who is in charge. Whether or not it is the Toyota recall or the tragic Gulf Coast oil spill, too many leaders seem to be avoiding responsibility.
Things fall apart when leaders shy from opportunities to show their AQ, accountability quotient. Quite simply, this means having the foresight to step up to the plate during favorable times and similarly during crisis situations.
But what happens when leaders continue to just point fingers at each other?
They are avoiding the obligation to be accountable for their actions by not asking tough but necessary questions: Who is responsible for handling this situation? How can these issues been addressed? How will there be checkpoints to resolve the matter?
Just look at the delay time to respond to unthinkable national tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill. How many jurisdictions trip over paperwork before taking action? Why do some of our leaders perpetuate philosophical differences even during crisis situations? An aversion to accountability just slows down progress.
How can our nation’s leaders step up and flex their AQ and not their IQ? They can be proactive in several ways. First, leaders must be there at “ground zero” to assess the circumstance firsthand. They should not send a messenger.
Next, leaders must assemble key advisors to collectively identify the problems and solutions. Also, it will be prudent for leaders to clearly identify the implications for each proposed action. It seems like a “no-brainer” but like you I continue to be surprised by how the simple accountability measures seem to get lost in the fray.
Bestselling author Bill George says in his book 7 Lessons for Leading in a Crisis that leaders should align themselves with their internal compass, values and beliefs to guide next steps.
“Leaders aligned with their True North are prepared to guide their organizations through severe situations because they know who they are. They have the self-awareness, self-confidence, and resilience to take responsibility for their failings and lead others through the rapidly unfolding — and often unpredictable —sequence of events. They rise to the occasion, find leadership abilities they never knew they had, and come through with shining colors.”
At the end of the day, our leaders must stop shirking from responsibility, getting defensive, or going on the attack. We need leaders with high AQ ready to take on “duties as assigned” better late than never.
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
