Accepting Accountability - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

I had an interesting discussion with a graduate student this week. She was making excuses as to why she had not paid her tuition bill on time for the semester, and was subsequently dropped from a course. She ended up having to pay a late fee to get reinstated. She was full of excuses as to why it happened – moving from “her busy leadership responsibilities” to a “sick child” and finally “people expect too much of me“. After she finished her end of the conversation, I asked her who was ultimately accountable to see that the bill got paid and she acknowledged it was her. I advised her to just admit that she made a mistake and move on.

The reality is that whining and refusing to accept accountability are potential derailers in leadership. These are behaviors that can quickly become a habit. An important quality in short supply today is personal accountability or the willingness to take ownership for one’s work and/or decisions. It is about holding yourself 100% accountable for your actions. If you are willing to do this and not engage in the “blame game” then people’s respect for you will skyrocket, others will follow you and you will feel good about yourself. To be a successful leader, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions, responsibilities and your goals. Doing this builds trust among your followers. Too often, I hear nurse leaders blame others or their “drama packed lives” for situations that are clearly theirs to own. Over time, this can become a pattern of behavior.

Todd Smith, author of the blog Little Things Matter, suggests that there are 3 key areas that a leader needs to hold him or herself accountable. These include:

Your actions and choices

The way in which you communicate with others
How you spend your time
Your behavior and manners
The consideration and respect you show others
Your eating habits and exercising routine
Your attitude and thoughts
The way you respond to challenges

Your responsibilities

Returning calls, emails, and texts in a timely manner
Being on time for business and personal appointments
Keeping your home, car, and workplace clean
Spending less than you earn
Doing the things you agreed to do when you agreed to do them
Executing your job description to the best of your ability
Writing things down on a “To Do” list so you don’t forget

Your Goals

Fitness and health targets
Financial goals
Family objectives
Career ambitions
Personal goals
Your marriage and personal relationships
Any other goals you have set for yourself

Nurse leaders frequently talk today about the need to establish a culture of ownership on their units and in their departments. I am not sure how this can ever happen unless the culture begins with the leaders. This means holding yourself accountable for your own commitments and responsibilities. It’s doing what you know you should do, when you should do it. It is a willingness to acknowledge when you have made a bad decision or failed to act in a way expected of a leader. When you’re personally accountable, you take ownership of situations that you’re involved in. You see them through, and you take responsibility for what happens – good or bad. You don’t blame others if things go wrong. Instead, you do your best to make things right.