Balancing Autonomy and Accountability

GET OUT OF YOUR TEAM’S WAY Managers, it’s time to stop treating employees like they need constant supervision. They shouldn’t have to apologise for having lives outside of work either. Trust your team to deliver, and you’ll create a positive, productive environment where everyone can thrive. Hiring the right people is just the beginning. The real magic happens when you trust and empower them. Trust means allowing your team the freedom to manage their work without hovering, showing that you respect them as capable adults who can balance both their professional and personal lives. This goes beyond just being flexible with time off. It’s about building a culture where people feel trusted to do their jobs in the way that works best for them - whether they’re in the office, working remotely, or handling personal matters during the day. The focus should be on outcomes, not micromanagement. Micromanaging stifles creativity and kills motivation. Trust, however, inspires people to do their best work. When you give your team ownership and the space to succeed, you’ll see them flourish. Here’s how to build that culture:
 * Hire the Right People: Ensure they have the skills and align with your company’s values.
 * Trust Your Team: Let them take ownership of their work, and resist the urge to micromanage.
 * Give Them Freedom: Allow them to make decisions and provide the tools they need.
 * Develop Strong Leaders: Train leaders to support their teams without controlling them.
 * Keep Communication Open: Foster an environment where people feel safe sharing ideas and feedback.
 * Celebrate Wins: Recognise achievements to keep motivation high.
 * Support Work-Life Balance: Encourage a healthy balance to enhance well-being and productivity. ♻️Neha K Puri

Your leadership team is underperforming. (And cracking the whip harder won't fix it.) Here's what nobody tells you about accountability: The harder you push, the less they deliver. I've watched CEOs destroy their executive teams this way: 🔥 Public callouts in meetings 🔥 Micromanaging every decision   🔥 Threats disguised as "motivation" 🔥 Fear-based deadline pressure Result: Your best leaders become corporate zombies. They show up. They comply. They stop caring. The expensive truth: Fear creates compliance. Clarity creates commitment. And you need commitment to win. Real story from last month: → CEO constantly berated his team for missing targets → 3 VPs quit in 6 months → Company lost $2M in transition costs alone Different CEO, different approach: → Created radical clarity around expectations → Listened without judgment → Built safety to admit mistakes early → Revenue up 40% in 12 months The difference? One used accountability as a weapon. The other used it as a framework for excellence. The 4 frameworks that create compassionate accountability: 1. RACI Matrix - Ends the "whose job is this?" chaos (Everyone knows their lane AND their value) 2. OKRs - Aligns hearts and minds (Shared goals create shared ownership) 3. EOS Accountability Chart - One person, one seat (Clear ownership without overlapping egos) 4. OGSM - Strategy meets reality (No more "I thought you meant..." conversations) But here's the key: These aren't hammers to hit people with. They're maps to help people win. The paradox of leadership: High standards + High support = High performance High standards + Low support = High turnover Your leadership team doesn't need more pressure. They need more clarity. Because when accountability comes from compassion, not control: → Problems get solved, not hidden → Leaders take ownership, not cover → Teams push forward, not back Stop managing through fear. Start leading through frameworks. Your leadership team is capable of greatness. But only if you create the conditions for it. Save this. Share it with your team. Because the best leaders don't create followers. They create owners. And ownership starts with clarity. P.S. Want a PDF of my Accountability Cheat Sheet? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dpWsuT4b ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more leadership insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "How to Work with Your Board to Accelerate Your Company’s Growth" Thu Jul 10th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/dCJ-nCxM 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dgRr89bM

Heads up, Salesforce Admins! 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 '𝟮𝟲 is changing how Flows run, and you need to be ready. 🚨 Big security changes are coming to Salesforce Flow this September. It's all about making sure users have the right permissions before they can run anything. No more free passes! Here’s the simple breakdown of what’s changing: 1. You Must Now Give Users Specific Permission to Run Flows 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲: A hidden setting gave many users a free pass to run Flows. 𝗡𝗼𝘄: You are in control. You must manually give each user or group the "Run Flows" permission through their Profile or a Permission Set, just like you would for editing a record or viewing a report. 2. Flows Can No Longer Bypass a User's Permissions 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲: A Flow could sometimes edit records or fields that the user themselves didn't have access to, acting like a super-user. 𝗡𝗼𝘄: A Flow must play by the exact same rules as the person who triggered it. If a user can't edit an Account, then any Flow they run won't be able to edit that Account either. It's a strict enforcer of your security rules. 3. The "Lockdown" Setting is Automatically Turning On 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲: There was an optional setting to "Restrict Access" to Flows that many orgs never turned on. 𝗡𝗼𝘄: Salesforce is automatically flipping this switch for everyone. This is the gatekeeper that enforces the new rules. If a user doesn't have the "Run Flows" permission, the gate slams shut and the Flow will not run. What You Should Do NOW: ✅ Audit: Run a report to list all your active Flows. Which ones are critical? ✅ Permission Check: Who actually needs to run each Flow? Map it out. ✅ Test: Log in as a standard user (NOT an admin!) and test your key Flows. You might be surprised what breaks. ✅ Assign: Grant the "Run Flows" permission in Permission Sets for the right user groups. This is a good change for security, but it will break things if you're not prepared. A little work now will save a major headache later! #Salesforce #SalesforceAdmin #Winter26 #SalesforceFlow #CRM #TechNews

The flip side of freedom is responsibility! And it can't be truer for me as an owner of a personal branding agency. While I relish the freedom to shape my vision, collaborate with clients who share my values, and develop inspiring strategies, this autonomy also carries significant responsibilities that are often overlooked. My role requires me to not only innovate and create but also to safeguard my clients' reputations and deliver authentic narratives that resonate with their audiences. How do I balance Freedom and Responsibility: 1. Set Clear Boundaries: Establish boundaries between work and personal life to ensure that I have time to recharge. This balance allows me to approach my work with renewed energy and creativity. 2. Prioritize Communication: Maintain open lines of communication with clients. Regular updates and honest conversations about expectations can help manage responsibilities without stifling creativity. 3. Delegate Wisely: Empower my team by delegating tasks based on their strengths and expertise. Trusting my team not only eases my workload but also fosters a collaborative environment where everyone contributes to the agency’s vision. 4. Stay Committed to Values: Remind myself of the values that guide my agency. This commitment serves as a compass, helping me make responsible decisions that align with both my vision and my clients’ needs. 5. Embrace Continuous Learning: I treat learning like a sponge, soaking up knowledge to fuel my innovative strategies. This knowledge allows me to make informed decisions, balancing innovative strategies with responsible practices. 6. Measure Impact: Regularly evaluate the impact of my strategies on clients’ brands. This assessment helps me take responsibility for the results while ensuring that my creative freedom is aligned with clients' goals. 7. Cultivate a Support Network: Surround myself with mentors and peers who understand the unique challenges of personal branding. Their insights can provide guidance on balancing freedom and responsibility effectively. 8. Celebrate Wins and Learn from Mistakes: Acknowledge both successes and failures. Celebrating achievements boosts morale, while reflecting on mistakes fosters growth and reinforces my commitment to responsibility. By consciously balancing these elements, I can enjoy the freedom of running a personal branding agency while still being accountable to my clients and their stories. This balance not only makes my work more fun but also helps me build a stronger connection with the people I work with. #community #collaboration #branding #innovation #strategy #inspiration #team

Micromanaging doesn't work. Neither does overtrusting your team.  Most leaders get this wrong. They either get too involved in things or they step back so far that nobody knows what they're supposed to be doing. I've been guilty of both. When I was building HomeServe, I'd swing between two extremes. Some weeks, I'd be in every decision, questioning every choice. Other weeks, I'd disappear completely and assume everyone knew what to do. Neither one worked.  Overtrusting sounds good in theory. You give people freedom, trust them to deliver, and step out of their way. But this only leaves your team guessing what to do and stalls their progress. I wasn't giving them the structure they needed to succeed.   On the other side, micromanaging kills autonomy and motivation. I realised I was a rubbish chief exec after eight years because I couldn't get this balance right. I had too many ideas, was overly involved, and did not trust the right people. That's when I hired Jonathan King to run HomeServe UK. He needed clear direction on what success looked like, then space to deliver it his way. The sweet spot is empowerment with accountability: ✅ Set clear goals and defined roles Everyone knows what they're responsible for and what success looks like. ✅ Give people room to decide Don't tell them how to do their job. Tell them what the outcome needs to be, then let them figure it out. ✅ Check in regularly, but not constantly Schedule weekly updates, not hourly surprise check-ins. Daily interference is just disruption. ✅ Be available when needed If they're making a mistake that will cost the business, step in. Otherwise, stay out of their way. ✅ Keep accountability high Freedom doesn't mean no consequences. People need to know they own the results. ✅ Focus on outcomes, not process I don't care how you get there, as long as you get there and it's done properly. In my experience, the best leaders have mastered this balance. They're not too hands-off or too hands-on. They're just ready. - They've trained their people well.  - They've set clear expectations.  - Then they've stepped back and let them work. And when something's going wrong, they step in fast. Trust without oversight leads to chaos.  Control without freedom leads to stagnation. The middle ground is where great businesses get built. If you've struggled to find this middle ground, leave a comment below.  I'd be interested to read your perspective. Order my book, How To Make A Billion In 9 Steps here: https://lnkd.in/eRYDKXdT ♻️ Repost to help leaders in your network.  And for more on building and scaling billion-pound businesses,  Follow me Richard Harpin

Autonomy is often wrongly confused with independence. This mistake negatively affects accountability. People sometimes mistakenly think that giving people autonomy means leaving them completely to their own devices (this is independence). In the organizational sense, autonomy is not the opposite of structure—it’s the freedom to operate WITHIN a structure that supports continuous improvement and accountability. A Lean mindset and approach helps leaders to understand how to foster BOTH accountability and autonomy. Lean leaders do this by intentionally moving away from making people feel like they are "being held accountable" (which feels imposed) and inspiring them to "take accountability" (a sense of ownership that naturally fosters autonomy). Here’s how you can adopt this approach in YOUR team: 🟢 Be clear about goals, roles, and responsibilities: Use tools like RACI charts or visual management boards to clarify who does what. 🔴 Define success together: Involve the team in setting performance standards or KPIs so they have a say in what they’re working toward. 🟣 Encourage regular 1:1 check-ins and team huddles: create spaces for discussing challenges without fear. 🟡 Engage people in problem-solving: Use structured techniques and Kaizen to involve the team in addressing inefficiencies. 🔵 Ask for their ideas first: Instead of directing what needs to change, coach them with powerful questions like, “What do you think is the best next step?” 🟤 Use visual management: Team dashboards or Kanban boards make progress visible, reduce micromanagement and highlight areas needing attention. 🟠 Review metrics as a team: Make this part of regular meetings, so progress and accountability are a collective effort. ⚫ Own your commitments: If you make a mistake or miss a deadline, acknowledge it openly. ⚪ Model humility: Admit when you don’t have all the answers and seek input from the team. (This makes people feel valued!!) 🤔Reflection time for leaders... Are you balancing structure and flexibility in your team? Which of the above could you act on to shape a culture of autonomy?

Your team isn't lazy. They're confused. You need a culture of accountability that's automatic: When accountability breaks down, it's not because people don't care. It's because your system is upside down. Most leaders think accountability means "holding people responsible." Wrong. Real accountability? Creating conditions where people hold themselves responsible. Here's your playbook: 📌 Build the Base Start with a formal meeting to identify the real issues. Don't sugarcoat. Document everything. Set a clear date when things will change. 📌 Connect to Their Pain Help your team understand the cost of weak accountability: • Stalled career growth • Broken trust between teammates • Mediocre results that hurt everyone 📌 Clarify the Mission Create a mission statement so clear that everyone can recite it. If your team can't connect their role to it in one sentence, They can't make good decisions. 📌 Set Clear Rules Establish 3-5 non-negotiable behaviors. Examples:  • We deliver what we commit to  • We surface problems early  • We help teammates succeed 📌 Point to Exits Give underperformers a no-fault, 2-week exit window. This isn't cruelty. It's clarity. 📌 Guard the Entrance Build ownership expectations into every job description. Hire people who already act like owners. 📌 Make Accountability Visible Create expectations contracts for each role. Define what excellence looks like. Get signed commitments. 📌 Make It Public Use weekly scorecards with clear metric ownership. When everyone can see who owns what. Accountability becomes peer-driven. 📌 Design Intervention Create escalation triggers: Level 1: Self-correction Level 2: Peer feedback Level 3: Manager coaching Level 4: Formal improvement plan 📌 Reward the Right Behaviors Reward people who identify problems early. (not those who create heroic rescues) 📌 Establish Rituals Conduct regular reviews, retrospectives, and quarterly deep dives. 📌 Live It Yourself Share your commitments publicly. Acknowledge your mistakes quickly. Your team watches what you do, not what you say. Remember: The goal isn't to catch people failing. It's to create conditions where:  • Failure becomes obvious  • And improvement becomes inevitable. New managers struggle most with accountability:  • Some hide and let performance drop  • Some overcompensate and micromanage We can help you build the playbook for your team. Join our last MGMT Fundamentals program for 2025 next week. Enroll today: https://lnkd.in/ewTRApB5 In an hour a day over two weeks, you'll get:  • Skills to beat the 60% failure rate  • Systems to make management sustainable  • Live coaching from leaders with 30+ years experience If this playbook was helpful... Please ♻️ repost and follow 🔔 Dave Kline for more.

“We wanted a culture of accountability and results. We gave employees more flexibility and empowerment and, in return, got much higher engagement and higher performance.” Neiman Marcus Group CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck Neiman Marcus Group had industry-leading retention in frontline employees, higher productivity and profit -- and made its investors very happy last year. The secret sauce? Allowing flexibility – including in the frontline – while holding people accountable for results. My newest for MIT Sloan Management Review is a deep-dive into NMG and the efforts led by CPO Eric Severson over the past few years, culminating in a highly successful sale to Saks at the end of year. Some quick highlights: 🔸 75% annual retention rate in store associates and 78% in operations (both of which often see 80% turnover!) 🔸 Higher productivity and quality metrics in stores and operations 🔸 High engagement, productivity and retention of headquarters staff – even through an acquisition. Eric learned at Gap the power of apply programs like ROWE – results-only work environments – versus traditional monitoring. “Some leaders instinctively believe that you had to reward people who put in the hours, even if some of them were poor performers in other aspects of their jobs. Those leaders ultimately admitted they passed employees along, as long as they showed up.” Eric described the work his team led at NMG as “freedom about when, where, and how you do your work.” and in return managers had “the right to hold you totally accountable for results.” They did away with the annual performance review and moved to quarterly reviews of progress against goals and professional development – and mutual goal setting for the next quarter. The bigger deal? They enabled flexibility in the frontline as well. Store associates had more control over locations and departments, and tooling to manage customer outreach and merchandising work from home some days, for example. 👉 LOTS more in the column, getting into what they did, how they used metrics and the outcomes they drove. Linked in comments! Flexibility in the frontline and for office-based employees combined with results-based management drives spectacular results. Thanks to Eric Severson, Geoff van Sonsbeeck, Leslie Brokaw and the whole MIT Sloan Management Review team! #Flexibility #Productivity #Engagement #Frontline #Hybrid #RemoteWork #RTO #ReturnToOffice

When teams struggle to execute, it’s often not due to a lack of talent or effort; rather, it’s because they lack clarity. This is where Commander’s Intent comes into play. Borrowed from military strategy, Commander’s Intent is a straightforward yet powerful concept: it clearly articulates the desired outcome, even if the exact path to reach that outcome isn’t defined. Here’s why it matters: In complex and fast-moving environments, you can’t predict every twist and turn. Plans will change, obstacles will arise, and teams will need to adapt. Commander’s Intent grants them the freedom to make decisions in the moment while remaining aligned with the bigger picture. It’s not about micromanaging the “how”; it’s about clearly defining the “why” and “what,” allowing teams to determine the “how” themselves. The key elements of Commander’s Intent are: **Clarity of Outcome:** What does success look like? Be specific about the end goal rather than the steps to achieve it. For example, “Increase customer retention by 15%” is clearer than “Improve customer experience.” **Context:** Why does this goal matter? Connect it to the broader strategy so teams understand the stakes and can prioritize effectively. **Boundaries:** What resources, constraints, or non-negotiables should teams consider? This ensures that autonomy doesn’t lead to chaos. **Trust:** Empower your team to make decisions. Trust in their expertise and judgment to navigate the unknown. When you provide Commander’s Intent, you’re not just giving direction; you’re creating alignment, focus, and the confidence for your team to act decisively. It’s about enabling progress, even in the face of uncertainty. How are you using Commander’s Intent in your organization? Are you providing your teams with the clarity they need to succeed?

In March 2020, Marriott was collapsing. Its CEO, Arne Sorenson, was battling cancer. What he did next redefined leadership accountability: Most leaders think accountability means consequences. When performance drops, they tighten control. When projects fail, they add oversight. When mistakes happen, they hunt for someone to blame. Then they wonder why their best people leave. March 2020. Marriott faces the worst crisis in 100 years. Hotels are shuttering. Thousands face furlough. And Arne Sorenson is undergoing cancer treatment. Most CEOs would’ve delegated the message. Sent a memo. Protected themselves. Not Sorenson. He sat in front of a camera, hair thinned, visibly weakened, and spoke directly to Marriott’s global team. He delivered the hard news. Took full accountability. Announced he and Bill Marriott would take no salary. The executive team? 50% pay cuts. Employees didn’t just hear the message. They felt it. Many returned when the company recovered, despite every reason not to. Why? Because Sorenson understood: Accountability isn't about blame. It's about ownership. Fear-based accountability focuses on control. Ownership-based accountability builds commitment. The difference shows up in a crisis: • Fear-based cultures protect themselves. • Ownership-based cultures protect the mission. Here’s what Sorenson did that most leaders don’t: He chose truth over spin. No euphemisms. No sugarcoating. He trusted people with the reality and gave them a plan. He made sacrifice visible. Pay cuts weren’t a cost-saving tactic. They were a statement: Leaders go first. That’s how you earn the right to ask others to follow. He gave teams control. Instead of dictating execution, he co-created solutions. People commit more when they help design the path forward. The result? Even under pressure, Marriott stayed aligned, committed, and resilient. Here’s the shift most leaders miss: Traditional accountability enforces standards. Transformational accountability builds capability. One makes people cautious. The other makes them better. Want more research-backed insights on leadership? Join 11,000+ leaders who get our weekly newsletter: 👉 https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk