Page 290 - Fearless Leadership

100% Accountability: A New Canvas on Which to Paint the Future 277

A combined meeting was set up for the chemical company’s sen-
ior team and the customer’s senior team. In this joint meeting, sev-
eral members from the senior team of the chemical company spoke
up and took accountability for recent breakdowns and genuinely
apologized for their impact. The customer was stunned, in a good
way. Unsolicited, customer team members stepped up and took
accountability for how they had reacted and contributed to the prob-
lem. By the end of an intensive two-day meeting, both teams came
together and formed a committed partnership. The energy and
excitement was palpable, and the combined team was buzzing with
innovative ideas.

The New Canvas. Both teams reported that their committed part-
nership not only changed how they worked together, it allowed them
to bring a new technology to market in record time. Historically, it
had taken two years from concept to commercialization, but this new
team successfully brought the new technology to market in less than
12 months. A customer team member stated, “We broke the mold on
the traditional supplier-customer model. Instead of two adversarial
teams protecting our individual interests, we now operate as one team.
We work better, faster, smarter, and revenues for both companies
reflect this.”
Lesson Learned. A single team can build a committed partnership
with another group if they are willing to take 100% accountability.
When one group acts as the owner of the relationship for both groups
and takes accountability (not blame) for the problems and break-
downs, the dynamic instantly changes and new possibilities emerge.

Does your group or business unit have committed partnerships with
both your internal and external customers? If this is something you believe
will add value to the bottom line, then start by building committed part-
nerships within your group. Everyone must operate with the same method-
ology and skill sets. When your group genuinely accepts ownership of the
problem or breakdown, you are ready to engage with the customer group.
Being a fearless leader lets you think big and build committed partnerships
with customers, the community, and other stakeholders.