There are many aspects of effective leadership: at times you need to be a guardian, protector, and advocate. Other times you need to be a coach, developing and inspiring your team. However, one of the most important aspects of effective leadership is holding people accountable.
In your role as a leader, you need to get people moving towards objectives. Yet some people don't want to move. And when you hold people accountable, some people will push back.
Why? It’s because we really don’t like to be held accountable. But here is a secret: Most people need it, even want it, from their leaders. Most bosses don't even try to hold people accountable. I said "bosses" and not "leaders". Bosses micromanage. Leaders hold people accountable. There is a HUGE difference.
Imagine lying in bed and trying to shut off your alarm, but it won't shut off. The alarm just keeps beeping and beeping and beeping. THAT'S micromanaging. Effective leadership makes a contract with you (sets the wake up time), monitors the progress of that contract every so often (checks the time), and goes about its other duties until the contract is complete (waits for the alarm to go off), then creates a new contract with you.
Here is the lesson for leaders: make agreements with your people, and then trust them to get the work done. Check with them at your agreed-upon times. And, by all means, if they're not delivering, hold them accountable. The rest of the time, focus on what you need to do.
