Accountability has a branding problem. 

Too often, it’s mistaken for criticism. Not because accountability is flawed, but because the conversation has been framed poorly. When that happens, leaders either avoid the conversation or deliver it in a way that erodes trust. 

The truth is, and what we’ve discovered through coaching and training people in their leadership, is that people don’t resist accountability. They resist how it’s delivered. 

As Rosalynn Carter observed: 

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” 

That’s the role of a leader in accountability conversations. Your role isn’t to call people out, it’s to call them forward and inspire their potential. 

Care and accountability work best together 

High-performing teams don’t choose between care or accountability. They commit to both. 

When care exists without accountability, expectations blur and performance dips. When accountability exists without care, fear and disengagement follow. 

Teams that balance care and accountability see up to 35% higher productivity than those that over-index on one or the other. 

The distinction matters: 

• Care is how the conversation happens 
• Accountability is what the conversation addresses
• When leaders hold both, accountability becomes a tool for growth not tension. 

We’ve got a podcast episode where we discuss can leaders care too much? Take a listen to it now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

The mindset that makes accountability work 

Every accountability conversation is shaped before it even begins. The most effective leaders start from one belief: Your people want to do well. 

It’s simple: Curiosity over judgement. 

When you approach conversations with curiosity instead of judgement, it increases psychological safety, individuals are more open to feedback, and they are willing to lean into ownership. Organisations that prioritise this mindset experience higher engagement, stronger satisfaction and lower turnover. 

As a leader, your role isn’t one of judgement. It’s a role of understanding, aligning expectations and supporting progress. 

What happens when leaders learn the right way to give feedback 

In 2023, one of our client teams was struggling with feedback. Leaders avoided conversations, issues lingered and accountability felt uncomfortable, so it was never actioned. 

Recognising these areas of improvement, we supported their leaders through a 12-month Leadership Development Program focused on building confidence, trust and feedback capability. 

Leaders learnt to: 

• Practise curiosity-first feedback 
• Focus on growth, not blame 
• Encourage open conversations and actively listen 
• And a whole lot more. 

From fearing feedback to early problem-solving 

Identifying the areas of improvement through a Team Effectiveness Survey (based on Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team), we then conducted multiple surveys to track the behaviours and effectiveness of the leadership development program. 

We saw a significant increase in “Team members call out one another’s deficiencies or unproductive behaviours”, with the score moving from 1.25 → 2.33 (out of 5). 

Another commendable shift was “Team members are slow to seek credit for their own contributions, but quick to point out those of others” 1.88 → 2.33 (out of 5). 

Team members learnt to: 

• Engage in open dialogue and healthy conflict 
• Proactively hold peers accountable and problem-solve early 
• Shift from individual focus to an organisational-first mindset 

This is what happens when accountability is done well. It stops relying on the leaders alone and becomes a shared responsibility across the team. 

How to hold accountability conversations that actually land 

• Effective accountability doesn’t require scripts or severity. It requires intention. 
• Start with care: Open with a genuine check-in. Trust is built before standards are reinforced. 
• Be neutral and specific: Describe behaviours and impact. Remove judgement from the language. 
• Seek understanding first: Ask questions. Listen fully. Alignment comes after understanding. 
• Re-anchor expectations: Clarify what’s required and why it matters. Context creates commitment. 
• Agree on next steps together: Shared ownership drives follow-through more than directives ever will. 
• Before closing, check in: Asking “How are you feeling after this conversation?” protects trust and reinforces care. 

Accountability is a skill, not a personality trait 

Strong accountability isn’t about being tough or soft. It’s about being intentional. 

When leaders combine empathy with clear expectations, teams stop avoiding hard conversations and start owning them together. And that’s when it stops feeling heavy and starts driving performance. 

Ready to take on accountability? 

Want to transform your team’s feedback and accountability culture, with results like this? 

Let’s talk about how leadership development can shift behaviour, trust and performance where it matters most. 

Get in touch. Give us a call on (02) 9566 1422, email us at hello@corporate-edge.com.au or fill out the contact form.