"I hate to be a failure. I hate and regret the failure of my marriages.
I would gladly give all my millions for just one lasting marital success".
J. Paul Getty
J. Paul Getty was married five times. A billionaire many times over, a financial crackerjack, a business giant, a philanthropist, an innate leader, a humanist; there are so many ways to describe his genius yet he used the word "failure" to describe himself and his less than stellar performance in the mundane world of domesticity.
Successful leaders are not necessarily "all rounders". Recognising that you have inevitable weaknesses will earn respect, and compensating for weaknesses through preemptive action reflects practicality and realism. Mark Zuckerberg awakened to the fact that his leadership skills were not on a par with his entrepreneurial acumen and hired Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to assuage employees who were disconcerted by falling stock prices. Jena McGregor, from the The Washington Post, reported in March 2012 that though Zuckerberg must be credited with vision, he may not be such a talented chief executive.
Specific questions can be asked of potential new recruits to judge their awareness of accountability; however, these questions are just as applicable to a manager or leader in self reflection (Accountability Leadership, D Worrall). A manager has as much responsibility as his staff, if not more, to hold himself accountable and the first step it to recognise weaknesses, to question his willingness to relinquish control of those areas and to decide whether the expectations for the person who assumes those responsibilities are reasonable. Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, a world authority in successful leadership, suggests finding your unique niche or knowledge area, concentrating on that, and allowing experts to manage your weaker areas.
Finding the strength to admit your weaknesses, and taking action to compensate, is setting an example in accountability. It will earn you the support and respect of employees and may encourage them to do the same. After all, nobody likes a micromanager.
Learn more about the missing link between high performance and accountability from Di Worrall's new e-book "Accountability Leadership: How Great Leaders Build a High Performance Culture of Accountability and Responsibility". This book will be available for instant download on Amazon kindle free from August 2nd to 4th, 2013 PDT at http://amzn.com/B00DUQGJEM
Also, an exclusive bonus for readers of accountability leadership is a 20 minute podcast with million selling author, thought leader and leadership coach Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. You will find a 60 second sample of the podcast by clicking on this link and scrolling down the page.
Resources:
The Washington Post: Mark Zuckerberg's New Challenge with Facebook
Di Worrall; Accountability Leadership: How Great Leaders Build a High Performance Culture of Accountability and Responsibility
Marshall Goldsmith: The Qualities of Great Trusted Advisors
http://www.clientleadership.com/marshall-goldsmith-the-qualities-of-trusted-advisors/
