What accountability really taught me?

When I started my career 11.5 years ago, accountability was a new word for me. Like most people early in their careers, I made mistakes at work. When that happened, you quickly realized something. No one comes to save you. You are in the spotlight during reviews & meetings and you become more careful the next time.

At that stage, accountability felt personal. If someone else made a mistake on a similar task, I would protect myself by saying I had done my part correctly.

That thinking changed 8.5 years ago when I was given the responsibility of leading an institute. I did not have a large team, but they worked sincerely on the tasks assigned to them. Still, whenever a team member made a mistake, I was the one held responsible.

That is when I understood the real meaning of accountability.

It did not matter who made the mistake. As the Business Manager and Head of Operations, I was accountable. Once I accepted that, my approach changed. I started training my team regularly. I helped them understand how their work and even small errors could impact the entire organization. We discussed responsibilities, communication and even simple things like writing clear and professional emails.

This helped my team take more ownership of their work.

When I started my startup 5.5 years ago, accountability became even deeper. I had invested my own money and I was fully responsible for every outcome. I worked with a small team of three to four people, but the pressure of running daily operations and generating revenue was entirely on me.

The pressure increased further when I started an offline center. Expenses like rent and utilities added to the responsibility. No matter what happened, there was no one else to blame. I had to make it work.

Over time, accountability stopped feeling like pressure. It became a habit. Then it became a strength.

So if you are working in a team today, understand this. A small mistake from your end can affect your team leader and their credibility, even when it was not their fault. If you have a leader who takes responsibility publicly and helps you correct mistakes privately, consider yourself lucky.

And if you are a leader who holds yourself accountable first, keep going. That is what real leadership looks like.