The Leadership Superpower That Turns Promise Into Progress: Accountability
- Michael D. Harms
- Feb 6
- 6 min read
Imagine working on an important project with your team that promises to turn everything around. But deadlines start to slip, excuses mount, and momentum slows to a screeching halt. You’ve probably seen it happen before. Perhaps you were even part of it. Regrettably, I know I have!
When I reflect on the core principles that could have transformed missed opportunities into real wins, I think of accountability. It can truly be an untapped superpower—if we embrace courageous ownership. We cannot choose to own only some of our thoughts, decisions, actions, and outcomes. We must own all of them.
What is Accountability?
Accountability is a deeply held value that shapes our level of commitment and capacity to follow through. It extends far beyond taking the blame when things go wrong. It is about having self-awareness and understanding how your role contributed to the results—good, bad, or otherwise.
Accountability means answering for your thoughts, decisions, and actions. Being accountable is a commitment to deliver what you say you’ll do while holding yourself and others to the same standard.
An accountable leader:
Follows up on milestones and analyzes the transformation of promise into progress.
Pivots and provides support or adjustments as needed rather than seeking to place blame for shortcomings.
Immediately owns mistakes and errors rather than delaying responsibility or deflecting the truth.
Accountability is not a buzzword—it is the “why” behind our leadership approaches, influencing how we build trust and drive success. Without it, all leadership approaches become hollow and unsustainable.
Why Accountability Matters
Accountability differentiates great teams from average ones. Yet great teams can be hard to find because accountability is uncomfortable—it requires vulnerability, discipline, emotional intelligence, and a willingness to confront issues within ourselves and others head-on. This is especially difficult in fast-paced environments filled with competing priorities and endless distractions.
Most people don’t intentionally choose to avoid accountability. Rather, they might shy away from it to avoid conflict or extra effort. Whether unintentional or deliberate, the consequences of lacking accountability remain the same.
Accountability is crucial because it creates a reliable foundation that:
Fosters Trust & Collaboration — When leaders model accountability, teams are more likely to pull their weight. Accountability helps increase psychological safety, opening more opportunities to trust one another and collaborate meaningfully.
Enhances Decision-Making & Growth — Mistakes become valuable lessons. Taking full responsibility helps identify patterns, think faster, and build resilience as challenges arise.
Boosts Morale & Retention — Accountable environments disarm resentment and balance uneven workloads. Accountability can decrease motivational burnout and reduce team turnover.
Drives Innovation & Results — Accountability encourages proactive problem-solving.
A Personal Experience with Accountability
Early in my aviation career, I flew Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army in South Korea. I wanted to demonstrate good judgment and maturity as a new pilot, so I took on an additional duty as the unit’s Flight Operations Officer. My responsibilities included overseeing and managing schedules, opening and closing flight plans, airspace coordination, operating various communication equipment, and implementing training calendars. Doing well in this role could help define my work ethic, teach me new skills, and move me closer to achieving pilot-in-command status. I gladly accepted the responsibility.
At the end of our unit’s training cycle, we conducted a culminating training exercise involving 24 aircraft configured into a task force: AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Blackhawks, CH-47 Chinooks, and OH-58 Kiowas, all operating simultaneously to achieve a common goal.
On the final day of the exercise, we were scheduled to fly into a prohibited area known for navigation and communication equipment interference. To operate there safely, detailed flight plans needed to be filed by noon on the day of the flight with the airspace owners. This ensured resources were available to prevent airspace incursions due to possible technical failures. A tiny mistake had the potential to become an international crisis.
So, as the Flight Operations Officer, I made sure to submit the flight plans myself.
Night fell. I was nervous as I climbed into the front seat of the Apache in the dark. This was a new training experience for me, and I didn’t really know what to expect. But I shook off the nerves, went through my run-up procedures, and read my checklist with the faint green lip light from my helmet. After countless button pushes, switch flips, and knob turns, I was ready. I made the radio call: “Slayer 15, Red One.” This was the “readiness level” call meaning I was ready for takeoff as a flight. The rest of the aircraft chimed in “Red One” over the radio. It was time.
To my surprise, the radio fell silent for a few minutes—unusual for 24 aircraft about to take off on a combined-arms exercise. Then we missed our planned takeoff time. I wondered what was happening. The next voice I heard was my battalion commander:
“All aircraft, immediately begin shutdown procedures and report to the command post. The mission is canceled. Have Mr. Harms report to my aircraft, now.”
“Oh. My. Goodness. I f’ed up. I must have done something wrong filing the flight plans!”
Anxiety and worry rushed over me as we shut down and locked up the aircraft. A truck pulled up beside us and the driver asked, “Is Mr. Harms here?”
“Yeah, I’m here. I’m coming.” I was quickly whisked away to my commander’s aircraft.
I walked over, snapped to the position of attention, and reported: “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes. The airspace owners never received our flight plans, so we couldn’t fly tonight. I’m not sure what happened. But you will find out immediately and brief everyone at the command post in 30 minutes. We were supposed to go home to our families tomorrow morning. Instead, you will inform everyone that we will remain in the field until this final mission has been accomplished. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
I departed and immediately began investigating and backtracking steps with my team. I had sent the timely flight plans to Base Operations according to our standard operating procedures. But I didn’t confirm that the receiving agency and airspace owners actually received them. I incorrectly assumed my Flight Operations team would have caught any mistakes.
No matter the reason for the failure, someone was going to shoulder it. I accepted the responsibility as the Flight Operations Officer in Charge—this one was on me. Everyone’s friends and families were expecting them to come home the next day. I wasn’t excited to be open and honest, or to own the mistake that angered everyone in my unit that night. But this is exactly what accountability asked of me.
How to Apply Accountability Today
Ready to make accountability a reality? It is not about being perfect—it is about consistent effort. Use the simple framework of T.O.D.A.Y. to apply accountability immediately:
T – Think: Reflect on what accountability means to you. How does owning your outcomes align with your current challenges? Don’t seek to understand blame. Instead, seek the understanding of commitment and the responsibility required.
O – Observe: Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities to be accountable. Notice the commitments made in meetings, emails, or other communications. If vague promises are made, watch for the outcome. Observe how accountability unfolds.
D – Do: Small, intentional, consistent actions move you closer to effective accountability. Be specific in actions that close the gap between commitment and responsibility, turning promise into progress.
A – Assess: What was the impact? What worked and what didn’t? Is trust being built or broken? Take quick notes on your phone or in a small notebook. Use this to turn accountability into actionable habits.
Y – Yield: Recognize the results and commit to repeating the actions that close the gap between promise and progress. Try it out and watch a superhero-like transformation happen. But this doesn’t happen overnight—it takes consistency. Use T.O.D.A.Y. to incorporate accountability now!
Reflection and Call to Action
Do you have a personal story about accountability that you would like to share with others? Post it below in the comments. I’d love to hear it and perhaps exchange ideas.
How has accountability shaped your path? What is one way you could lean into it even more?
If this hits home, give it a like, share it with your network, or leave a comment. Next week, we will talk about resilience.
Until next time, lead yourself well. Lead with purpose. Lead today!
— Mike
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