Building Accountability through Trust

Every new semester at Georgia Southern University, I get a new group of public speaking students.

Some are excited. Some are nervous. Some would probably rather take organic chemistry at 8:00 a.m. than stand in front of the class and give a speech.

So early in the semester, I try to establish one important expectation: You are here to learn, not to prove that you already know how to do this. When students are anxious about trying something new, I often ask, “Have you ever done this before?” When they say no, I respond, “Then why would you expect to be good at it? Just do the best you can, at the top of your intelligence, and learn from it.”

That does not lower the standard. It lowers the fear of falling short while they are learning. And this creates an environment where students feel safe enough to take a chance and try something uncomfortable.

This matters in the workplace, too. We often talk about accountability as if it begins with consequences. Someone misses a deadline, underperforms, or makes a mistake, and then we “hold them accountable.” But accountability begins much earlier than that. It begins with trust.

When people trust their leader, they are more willing to say, “I made a mistake.” They ask questions sooner. They admit when they are stuck. They try something they have never done before without worrying that one misstep will define them.

This gives leaders an opportunity to set higher expectations, not lower ones. “I’ve got your back” does not mean, “I’ll cover for you.” It means, “I’ll support you while you do the work.” There is a big difference.

Strong accountability requires both high expectations and trust. People need to know what is expected of them. They also need to know they can be honest when things do not go according to plan. When people are afraid of the response, they do not become more accountable. They become better at hiding problems.

Leadership means creating enough trust for people to take chances, own mistakes, ask for help, learn, and improve. That is where accountability grows.