Page 193 - Fearless Leadership

180 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

excuses as a substitute for business results. When leaders hold oth-
ers accountable for their commitments and performance, not for
activities and effort, they hold people to a higher standard and most
will change their behavior.

When leaders change the rules of the game and raise the bar on how
people are expected to behave, a few may leave the organization, but the
overwhelming majority will stay and become passionately engaged. People
want to do their best, and tolerating poor behavior in some lowers the stan-
dard for everyone.
Words are actions, and we use the words accountability, integrity, and
commitment as if we are sprinkling sugar on cereal, adding a splash of fla-
vor with no real substance. The words that represent our highest ideals
and values no longer have potency. Without recognizing it, we accept a
low standard of behavior that undermines business results.
Every time you accept an excuse, you send a message: a good excuse
plus a reasonable explanation equals the result. This is no way to run a
business. Until our behavioral standards for accountability and commit-
ments are significantly raised, becoming a world-class organization is a pipe
dream. It is a castle in the air that will remain unachievable until com-
mitted partnerships are formed and leaders build a culture where com-
mitments stand for action and results.
We need fearless leaders who are not unfair or arbitrary, but who take
accountability and refuse to accept low behavioral standards. We need
leaders who have the courage to restore the true meaning to the words
accountability, integrity, and commitment.

Your Word Is Your Bond

In a culture of accountability, your word is your bond. Individuals and
teams are caretakers of their promises, and they do not give or take com-
mitments lightly. They treat commitments with respect and do not let cir-
cumstances or challenges stop them.
Your relationship to the words that come out of your mouth determines
the extent of your power. If talk is cheap, and words are empty and hol-
low, then committing is not a powerful action. On the other hand, when