Quotes about Accountability

Years ago, I used to tell new leaders I hired that every person in our organization walked around with two buckets. One bucket contained water, and the other gasoline. As leaders, they would continually come across small fires, and they could pour water or gasoline on a fire. It was their choice.

One of the most important things you can do as a leader is make sure you and your organization are delivering what you promised. The question I ask to make an assessment of this is "Did we exceed expectations?" This ensures my future success and that of my organization. The future is dim professionally for anyone who doesn't exceed the expectations of customers or clients.

Remind yourself that leadership is a privilege and responsibility more than anything else.

Where trust is absent, leadership falters.

The way you take control of the direction of your life is to take responsibility for yourself and your everyday actions.

Even the most noble endeavors fail with immoral leadership.

Every time we make an excuse, we fail to learn from our mistakes.

Leaders who are effective are leaders who are disciplined in their daily lives.

I love the story about the shortest letter to the editor written to England's newspaper the Daily Mail. When the editor invited readers to send in their answers to the question, "What's wrong with the world?" writer G. K. Chesterton is reputed to have sent the following: Dear Sir, I am. Yours sincerely, G. K. Chesterton.

I have had to let go of my need to be right and focus on the greater need to do right.

Tomorrow's opportunity is determined by yesterday's responsibility.

Good leaders never embrace a victim mentality. They recognize that who and where they are remain their responsibility—not that of their parents, their spouses, their children, the government, their bosses, or their coworkers.