This Is How You're Eroding Accountability

Accountability is the engine that keeps large organizations moving, but many leaders think they can delegate it away. The article argues that without regular, focused check-ins on the top priorities of each direct report, accountability silently disappears. Knowing the 1-3 most important goals for every report and surfacing them frequently creates the minimal guardrails needed for execution.

Three common ways accountability collapses are highlighted. First, managers often assume work will finish itself, only intervening when something breaks; the remedy is a disciplined cadence of status updates. Second, strategic whiplash-rapidly shifting priorities without deliberate decision-making-undermines urgency and leaves projects half-done. Third, incorrect incentives, whether overly narrow or excessively broad goals, push teams to chase the wrong metrics or blame external factors, eroding ownership. Each pattern is illustrated with concrete scenarios like sales teams chasing deals at any cost or product teams being held to net dollar retention despite factors they cannot control.

Broken org charts amplify the problem. Overlapping roles create shared accountability that leads to nobody owning outcomes, while excessively deep hierarchies dilute responsibility and slow issue escalation. The piece recommends a regular audit of the org structure to eliminate overlapping responsibilities and limit depth, ensuring that when a problem surfaces, the right person is clearly accountable. Together, these insights give leaders a practical roadmap to rebuild a culture where people act with agency, urgency, and clear ownership.