Unleashing Team Potential: The Power of Accountable Leadership

In the realm of leadership, accountability is a key ingredient to driving success for everyone involved. Whether it’s in execution, collaboration, delegation, or leveraging technology, taking ownership of your responsibility as a team leader sets the stage for remarkable achievements.

Recently, I had the privilege of collaborating with an exceptional leader who embodied this ethos. She didn’t just articulate the team’s vision; she lived it, ensuring every team member understood the context and value of their collective efforts. Through her guidance, she assigned tasks aligned with individual strengths, fostering purpose and engagement. In other words, her actions proved she was not only accountable to her superiors, but to the team she was leading.

Moreover, she transcended traditional barriers by utilizing technology to facilitate collaboration among a diverse population. This inclusivity created an environment where innovation flourished, resulting in outcomes that exceeded even the most optimistic expectations.

But team building doesn’t happen overnight. I’m willing to bet that this leader’s excellent relationship with her team took a great deal of time and effort to develop. To build an effective team, leaders must commit and re-commit to accountability, especially in the early stages of development; accountable leaders know that true cohesion is the product of deep trust, clear goals, and the successful overcoming of shared challenges.

You may already be familiar with psychologist Bruce Tuckman’s stages of group development. Published in 1965, this theory seeks to explain the evolution of a team from a disparate group of strangers to a high-functioning social unit. The five classic stages are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Below, I’ll explain each in turn, with an emphasis on the accountable leader’s role in facilitating the growth process. You’ll notice I’ve made an adjustment to the last stage; “adjourning,” in addition to being a clunky rhyme, implies a finality that I find limiting. “Transforming,” on the other hand, suggests the ongoing benefits of having served on an effective team under an accountable leader. And, as I’m sure you’ll agree, it sounds better.

The Accountable Leader’s Role in Team Development:

1. Forming:

During the forming stage, accountable leaders establish a solid foundation by articulating the vision and setting clear goals. They ensure alignment and understanding among team members, laying the groundwork for success.

2. Storming:

As the team progresses, challenges inevitably arise. Accountable leaders navigate these storms by fostering open communication and mediating conflicts, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.

3. Norming:

With conflicts resolved, the team enters a phase of cohesion and collaboration. Accountable leaders reinforce positive behaviors and celebrate achievements, fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect.

4. Performing:

In the performing stage, accountable leaders empower their teams to achieve peak productivity. They provide necessary resources, remove obstacles, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, driving toward excellence.

5. Transforming:

As projects conclude, accountable leaders guide the team through a transformational phase. They facilitate reflection, celebrate successes, and help team members transition to new endeavors, ensuring that lessons learned are carried forward.

 Accountable leadership is a critical component of high-performing teams. By embracing accountability in all aspects of leadership, from execution to delegation to leveraging technology, leaders can unlock the full potential of their teams.

I’m often asked how long it takes the average team to move through the phases noted above. While I can’t give anyone a specific answer, I tell them that shared accountability among the team, and especially the leadership, is critical to progress a team through its lifespan.

Whatever form your leadership takes—whether you, like my wife, are corralling a bunch of wild-eyed teenagers and family members to throw a surprise birthday party for our 16-year-old, or a senior executive laying out your annual strategic plan in the boardroom – these principles will only strengthen the momentum and velocity of your performance. But awareness of the stages of team development only gets you so far. You must make a commitment to be accountable to your teams, however far along they are. Remember that it is your responsibility to support them on your shared journey. Accountable leaders build great teams and reap the benefits later.

If you’re interested in strengthening your leadership accountability or developing a deeper understanding of the stages of team development, send me an email at jeremiah@getemergent.com. I’d be happy to help.