What do we call people who make mistakes and are accountable for them?

For many of us, we call them heroes who continuously earn our praise.

I love that Jim Joyce, the umpire who is now nationally known as the man whose bad call kept a young Detroit Tiger pitcher from earning a perfect game, was named the best umpire in the league in an exclusive poll taken in the past week.   (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/06/jim-joyce-voted-mlbs-best-umpire-in-espn-poll/1)

To me, this proves that at the end of the day, our society values accountable leaders who do not hide from scrutiny, but rather are upfront and honest in their shortcomings.

Jim Joyce’s story isn’t a sport’s story.  It’s a leadership story.  Accountability is so rare in our society it’s amazing how when we see it – on small or grand levels – we applaud and celebrate it.  So why then, if accountability is so valuable, do people tend to hide from it?  Here are my thoughts – I’d love to hear yours:

• No one likes being wrong
• We expect perfection from ourselves (though no human being is perfect …)
• We are afraid of the outcome if we admit our failures or mistakes
• We don’t want to upset expectations
• No one likes their judgment questioned
• We have egos … precious, fragile egos
• Deflection and blame can take the attention away from ourselves

Most of these reasons, or rather “excuses,” have to do with our own insecurities, fears, and lack of confidence in ourselves.  It takes a pretty amazing leader to look beyond their insecurities to do what is right (not what might feel good in the moment).

We all can practice accountability daily, and in turn channel and project our inner Jim Joyce.  We have to start by acknowledging that we’re not always right and if there is a problem, and we’re close enough to it to know about it, then we probably had something to do with it.  Also, try repeating a mantra I learned in the Marine Corps … it’s humbling and grounding: I am responsible for all that I do and all that I fail to do.  When you don’t hide from your mistakes and instead acknowledge them, you are able to make great growth as a leader and earn the respect and trust of those around you.

Last week we asked our Facebook community to weigh-in on the most important qualities that a manager can possess.  It is clear that individuals want their managers first and foremost to be strong leaders.  When you possess and display the following top 5 leadership qualities on a consistent basis, you will stand out from the pack as a highly effective manager.

• Strong Performance – Managers need to meet and exceed performance standards on a daily basis.  They must have a very narrow “say-do gap” and always live up to the commitments they make.

• Decisiveness – Managers must have the courage to make the tough calls.  While they realize that every decision might not be perfect, effective managers make well-reasoned and timely decisions.  They choose to live proactively – not reactively.

• Accountability – Managers are always accountable for their actions and the decisions they make.  When a problem arises they look first to their own contributing actions (or lack there of).  Accountability breeds trust.   An effective manager is one who others see as a go-to person who will listen to their problems and help them to find solutions.

• Strong Communication – Managers must be strong communicators.  They must clearly convey their expectations and consistently hold others accountable when those expectations are not met.  Effective managers do not shy away from confrontation because they understand that conflict is sometimes necessary to bring about resolution.

• Service-Based Leadership – Managers truly care about those they lead.  They seek to remove obstacles that prevent others from reaching their fullest potential.  They are empathetic to others’ needs; however, they avoid coddling or enabling others because they are focused on individual growth and exceptional performance.

Effective managers are excellent leaders.  Incorporate these 5 top leadership qualities into your daily life and watch your team thrive!

Let’s face it, everyone has at least one part of their job that they dislike.  Whether it is the mountain of paperwork on your desk that needs to be filed or the phone call to the unhappy client that needs to be made, each day you have something that you are required to do that you dread.

What do you do when you are faced with a task that you dislike?  Do you put it off, telling yourself that you will get to it later (only to find yourself still stressing about it hours later)?  Or do you tackle the dreaded task head on?

Leaders fight the urge to procrastinate.  To make the most of your most precious commodity – your time – you must make each moment count.  Every morning consider your to-do list and pick out the one thing that you want to do least. Make completing that dreaded task your first accomplishment of the day.  You will find that this simple, yet effective, technique will make you more efficient while also reducing your daily stress level.

“They won’t let me.”  “I’ve tried in the past and it failed.”  “Why go the extra mile – no one cares.” 

I can’t tell you how often I hear comments from professionals that sound so defeatist.  I recognize that there are difficult aspects of every professional’s role – challenging colleagues, bad bosses, inflexible environments.  However, it’s sad to see how many people fall victim to constraints and personalities.

As leaders, we cannot be defined by what we can’t do – we have to develop coping mechanisms that tell us what we can do.   We determine the value we bring to the organization.  We determine the work ethic that we put forth.  We determine the quality of our performance by being prepared, exceeding standards, and proactively approaching our roles.  And we can counter difficult people by cultivating an inner discipline to tune out the negative noise. 

For any professional who is falling into a routine of blame and despair, I highly encourage you to start reading more leadership literature to give yourself some inspiration and also start challenging your routine to ensure that you overcome the status quo.  Also, re-examine your leadership behaviors and see what you can do more of to show your true value in your professional environment.  Small actions, over time, produce profound results.

You encounter a problem at work.  Maybe your team missed a deadline or you have an altercation with a colleague.  Whatever the case may be, after you experience the problem what do you do next?  Do you start determining who or what is to blame?  Or, do you take a step back and wonder what role you played in the current situation.

When leaders are close enough to a problem to know about it, they attempt to understand how their own actions (or in-actions) contributed to the situation.  Instead of immediately looking to place blame, stop and ask yourself:

• Did I clearly communicate my expectations?
• What could I have done differently to avoid this situation?
• Is this situation about my own ego and my need to be right?
• What will I do in the future to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

If you want to be a leader others respect, you’ll need to develop a strong ability to be accountable, to admit when something is your fault and to own your mistakes.   Leaders resist the urge to get on the “blame bandwagon.”  It is unproductive and goes nowhere.