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Accountability In Leadership
by Veronica Sheehan, SVP of Network Operations, Turner Entertainment Group
January 27, 2009
I
n uncertain times like today, strong leadership is essential. It sure is easier to be in
charge when all is going well, but when times are difficult and things are not going well, having a
leader that is well informed and prepared to make critical decisions is vital.
How do you stay prepared? Hold yourself accountable as a leader at ALL times – good and bad!
Do not delegate or escalate your leadership responsibility too often.
As you develop as a leader, often one of the toughest things to learn is how and when to
delegate responsibility. If you don’t delegate, you lose the opportunity to build your team’s
skills and their trust in you. If you delegate too much, you risk not staying informed, connected
and grounded in reality. In September of 2008, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Bob Woodward
published The War Within, a behind-the-scenes account of the last two years of the Bush
administration. I’ve recently been discussing Woodward’s book with my own leadership team because
it is a prime example of not knowing when to turn over leadership responsibility. In his
investigation, Woodward reveals that the Bush administration frequently ignored or dismissed
experts and that accountability was repeatedly evaded. Successful leaders find the right balance –
it comes with trial and error, but you must try!
Another thing to learn as you develop your leadership skills is when and when not to
escalate responsibility to the next level. Escalating too often, you risk the opportunity to build
your skills and to gain the trust of your upper management. I know when I have had leaders
consistently reaching out to me to give them the solution, I question if they are capable of
handling the job. You don’t want that to happen to you. Obviously there are situations in which you
need your boss’ input and guidance; however, to avoid escalating too often, learn to pause, review
the facts of the situation, get unbiased feedback from people you trust and then make a decision.
And if you want to gain reassurance from your boss that you have made the right decision – meet
with her and give her your solution. This will help you build trust that you are holding yourself
accountable.
For those of you who have held yourself accountable all along for being well informed and
engaged – bravo – keep it up! For those of you who may not have, it’s not too late to take back
accountability in your leadership. Today more than ever we need strong leadership in business. We
are in transitional times, and it’s time as well to transition your leadership skills to where you
need to be.
The opinions expressed by Veronica Sheehan and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) or any employee thereof. TBS, Inc. is not responsible for the
