It’s fair to say that accountability is a system output, not a personality trait, and most managers do create the dependency that they’re frustrated by (especially new managers), and the story told here is a good way to introduce it.
Where it gets harder is the four steps. They’re all aimed at the manager in isolation, which both doesn’t scale and only works until the system above them pushes back and asserts its own expectations. When something slips because a manager held back and let their team own it, their boss (who is under their own pressure and incentive structure) notices the slip, not the development happening underneath it. That one moment resets everything. Not because the manager lacked discipline or the improvement they were trying to make was wrong, but because the incentive geometry above them just gave them a very clear answer about what’s actually expected and rewarded.
Considering that this is a systemic problem, any fix has to actually reach into that system rather than treat individual traits or the manager’s habits inside the system. One can only attenuate or improve so much before they run into the wall of what the system itself rewards, ignores, or punishes, and intention alone is not enough to push back against systemic forces.
Really fair point Josh, and you're not wrong, systemic forces absolutely play big a role and I've seen exactly what you're describing happen to managers who are trying to do the right thing.
But the way I see it is, I write for managers, and a manager can only ever control their own actions. Not the system above them, not the incentives their boss is responding to, just how they show up with their team.
So my hope is that when enough managers lead this way, it starts to shift the system and that's that's a longer game. But in the meantime, I hope these systems can help to serve the individual managers and what is inside their control.
Delegation needs coaching. In the Fighter Pilot world you don’t transition from Wingman to Formation Leader one day to the other, the title is given at the end of training and exposure.
Task allocation and delegation must challenge the “young guns” to allow them to contribute and feel that sense of contribution.
I often find that lot of accountability issues aren’t about effort, they’re about whether people understand what good looks like, how things work, and what they’re responsible for.
Accountability then becomes clear and less personal.
There’s a warmth and groundedness to your writing that makes encouragement feel believable instead of cliché.
You write in a way that feels like someone gently reminding people they’re allowed to grow, rest, and become.
Thank you Kien this is very kind
It’s fair to say that accountability is a system output, not a personality trait, and most managers do create the dependency that they’re frustrated by (especially new managers), and the story told here is a good way to introduce it.
Where it gets harder is the four steps. They’re all aimed at the manager in isolation, which both doesn’t scale and only works until the system above them pushes back and asserts its own expectations. When something slips because a manager held back and let their team own it, their boss (who is under their own pressure and incentive structure) notices the slip, not the development happening underneath it. That one moment resets everything. Not because the manager lacked discipline or the improvement they were trying to make was wrong, but because the incentive geometry above them just gave them a very clear answer about what’s actually expected and rewarded.
Considering that this is a systemic problem, any fix has to actually reach into that system rather than treat individual traits or the manager’s habits inside the system. One can only attenuate or improve so much before they run into the wall of what the system itself rewards, ignores, or punishes, and intention alone is not enough to push back against systemic forces.
Really fair point Josh, and you're not wrong, systemic forces absolutely play big a role and I've seen exactly what you're describing happen to managers who are trying to do the right thing.
But the way I see it is, I write for managers, and a manager can only ever control their own actions. Not the system above them, not the incentives their boss is responding to, just how they show up with their team.
So my hope is that when enough managers lead this way, it starts to shift the system and that's that's a longer game. But in the meantime, I hope these systems can help to serve the individual managers and what is inside their control.
Delegation needs coaching. In the Fighter Pilot world you don’t transition from Wingman to Formation Leader one day to the other, the title is given at the end of training and exposure.
Task allocation and delegation must challenge the “young guns” to allow them to contribute and feel that sense of contribution.
When do we micromanage?
When it’s life or death.
Anything else allow mistakes, allow growth.
in any case, you (the leader) are accountable.
Really love that analogy thank you for sharing, I will check out your work as it sounds very cool!
Hey, I really like this framework Heather!
I often find that lot of accountability issues aren’t about effort, they’re about whether people understand what good looks like, how things work, and what they’re responsible for.
Accountability then becomes clear and less personal.
Love it, agreed on this point too