How to hold yourself accountable as a leader: 5 powerful tips

As any leader knows, personal accountability is critical. After all, how can you expect others to follow your lead if you're not holding yourself accountable? It can be challenging to hold yourself accountable. You may feel like you are constantly juggling many balls, and sometimes it feels impossible to prioritize your own needs. Fortunately, you can take a few simple steps to ensure you're on the right track.

So what is personal accountability?

Personal accountability is the belief that you are solely responsible for your actions and outcomes. Personal accountability means that you cannot blame others for your mistakes or your lack of success. It also means taking responsibility for your happiness and wellbeing. Personal accountability is a cornerstone of success in any area of life, whether you're an entrepreneur, a student, or a stay-at-home parent. 

If you want to take control of your life and achieve greatness, start by taking personal accountability for your actions and choices. Those accountable for their own lives are more likely to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. They are also more likely to be happy and fulfilled because they are not living in someone else's shadow.

Why is personal accountability important?

There are a few key reasons why personal accountability is so important:

1. It builds trust. When you are willing to be truthful and honest with yourself, others will trust you more.

2. Personal accountability is essential for growth. You can't improve or change unless you are willing to look at yourself honestly and objectively.

3. Personal accountability leads to empowerment.

When you take responsibility for your own life, you gain a sense of control and power that can be very empowering.

How can you cultivate personal accountability?

There are a few things you can do to cultivate personal accountability in your life:

1. Start by being truthful with yourself. Accept that you will make mistakes and be willing to learn from them.

2. Develop a strong sense of self-awareness. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and be ready to address them head-on.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help. When you admit that you need help, you also acknowledge that you are willing to take responsibility for yourself.

Here are the four problems that bubble up when you lack personal accountability:

1. You'll have difficulty setting and sticking to boundaries. Which can lead to burnout as you try to do everything yourself.

2. You'll find it hard to say "no" to others and take on more than you can handle. Which can lead to resentment and feelings of being overwhelmed.

3. You'll have trouble taking responsibility for your actions and owning up to your mistakes. Not taking ownership can damage your relationships and hamper your ability to learn and grow.

4. You'll struggle to stay motivated and focused on your goals. Without personal accountability, it's too easy to get sidetracked and give up on your dreams.

There are a few steps that you can take to develop personal accountability:

Here are five tips to help you get started.

1. Develop Personal Accountability: Make a list of your priorities and goals:

   There's a science behind making a list of your priorities and goals. And it all starts with understanding what's most important to you. Once you know that, you can begin to prioritize your goals and put them into action. Here's how it works: First, take some time to identify your core values. These are the things that are most important to you in life. They might include things like family, health, happiness, or success. Once you know your core values, you can start prioritizing your goals based on those values. Order your goals based on their importance to you and start working towards them. Remember, there's no wrong way to prioritize your goals. 

2. Develop Personal Accountability: Regular goal review sessions:

   A regular goal review session will help you identify what's working and what isn't and make adjustments as needed. Regularly reviewing your progress and setting new goals are forcing you to stay focused and on track. And when you share your goals with someone else, you're increasing the likelihood that you'll follow through.

3. Develop Personal Accountability: Celebrate your successes, no matter how small they may seem: 

   As any successful person will tell you, it's important to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. After all, every victory, no matter how minor, is a step in the right direction. And what's more, taking the time to enjoy your successes can help to motivate you to keep striving for new goals. Of course, this doesn't mean you should start throwing lavish parties every time you hit a milestone. But it does mean that you should take a moment to reflect on your achievements and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. After all, you deserve it!

4. Develop Personal Accountability: Find an accountability partner or group who can help keep you on track:

   Whether we're trying to shed some holiday weight, stick to a new exercise regimen, or finally complete that home project we've been procrastinating on for months. As enthusiastic as we are at the start of a new goal, it's too easy for that initial motivation to fizzle out a few weeks (or days) later. We could all use a little help staying accountable, which is where an accountability partner or group comes in. An accountability partner checks in with you regularly to see how you're progressing on your goals. An accountability partner could be a friend, family member, coach, or even somebody you meet online. Having somebody to report back to makes it much more likely that you'll stay on track; after all, who wants to admit they've fallen off the wagon?

5. Develop Personal Accountability: Create a timeline for each goal, and make sure to schedule time for self-care and relaxation:

   As anyone who's ever tried to accomplish a goal knows, it's not enough to set your sights on something and hope for the best. A successful plan of attack requires careful planning and execution, especially when it comes to goal setting. Creating a timeline is one of the best ways to increase your accountability and chances of achieving a goal. A timeline will help you stay on track and progress towards your goal. However, it's also important to schedule time for self-care and relaxation. Scheduling self-care and relaxation time will help you avoid burnout and keep your motivation high. So, if you're looking to increase your personal accountability as a leader, create a timeline and build some time for R&R.

Conclusion: 

Leaders are not perfect, and they don't have to be. But they need a sense of accountability for their actions and the ability to learn from their mistakes. The five powerful tips we shared should help you start holding yourself accountable as a leader. If you find that you're struggling with any of these concepts or would like more personalized help, please reach out to us. What techniques will you use to hold yourself accountable as a leader? Let us know in the comments below! We want to see you succeed in your leadership role – no matter what that looks like. Before you go, grab my free Resilience Toolkit.

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