THE ACCOUNTABILITY LADDER: SHIFTING FROM VICTIM TO LEADER

You see it in a person’s eye.

That moment when they make the most important shift in their personal leadership: from a victim to a leader.

It’s easier to play the blame game. Accusing others in order to excuse your own poor behaviors and results. When I work with personal leaders, individual contributors, and teams, I like to ask the following:

  • In the last 30 days, where have you taken responsibility to improve yourself?
  • Do you look in the mirror daily and ask the hard and honest questions that keep you accountable?
  • Right now, where are you on the accountability ladder?

The Accountability Ladder is an excellent tool for keeping yourself honest. The consulting firm of Senn Delaney developed it. It is a structured method for shifting your mindset from an unaware victim to an ideal team member– accepting full responsibility for the next steps.

How does it work? You start at the bottom of the ladder and talk yourself out of blame/victim status. Using the Accountability Ladder, a person can move from a powerless victim of circumstances to a person who owns their mistakes and sees these as an opportunity to grow.

Take a moment of honesty.
Take a moment with your team.
Take time to recognize where you are.
Create a new plan of action that empowers.
Create mutual accountability for everyone.

TODAY MATTERS: A leader or team without accountability remains stuck. On the other hand, those who look in the mirror, own their circumstances, and accept personal responsibility will find solutions and explore new opportunities.

Here’s to being accountable!
–Steve

Shift from Victim to Leader with Steve’s Lead With No Fear Keynote Program
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”

About the Author

Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.

A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.