The Leadership Trap: Why Accountability Kills Ownership
⏳ Estimated Reading Time: 6–7 minutes
Why Accountability Fails: The Responsibility Crisis in Leadership
Is accountability driving performance in your team—or stifling ownership? What’s meant to inspire action often turns talented people into passive bystanders.
A coaching client of mine was leading an agile transformation, but their team was struggling with clarity and alignment. Their first instinct? Create a RACI model—a document mapping out who was responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed for each task.
Instead of fostering ownership, the structure backfired. People stayed in their lanes and waited for instructions—doing only what was assigned, nothing more.
Despite their efforts, they had unknowingly created an environment of compliance rather than ownership. Agile techniques alone weren’t enough—a real mindset shift wasn’t happening.
Accountability-driven cultures don’t create ownership—they create hesitation. If your team waits for direction instead of stepping up, the issue isn’t their skill—it’s whether they feel a sense of ownership.
When leaders foster responsibility, teams take ownership. That’s the key to moving from passive compliance to active engagement.
But how do you create that shift? It starts with rethinking how we define leadership.
I Ignored This Book for 3 Years—Then It Changed Everything
In 2019, a colleague recommended The Responsibility Process® by Christopher Avery, describing it as transformative. Curious, I bought the book in 2021—but it sat unread on my shelf for an entire year. When I finally started reading it, I wondered, “Why did I wait so long?”
I didn’t realize how much I misunderstood responsibility until I finally read it—and it changed everything.
This wasn’t just another leadership book. Avery didn’t just talk about responsibility—he laid out a framework for why we stay stuck in blame, justification, and obligation and how to break free. As I read, it hit me: I’d spent years trapped in those same cycles without realizing it.
But responsibility isn’t an instant shift—it requires rewiring how we think. Many leaders assume they’re driving performance when they’re actually just creating compliance. The harder we push accountability, the more we stifle ownership.
At first, I didn’t see the distinction either. I thought enforcing accountability would improve performance. But the more I pushed, the less ownership people took. And I wasn’t alone—leaders everywhere fall into this same trap.
It’s not just an individual challenge—it’s an organizational one. This distinction between accountability and responsibility is where most leadership struggles begin.
Why Responsibility Matters More Than Accountability
Many leaders confuse accountability with responsibility. Here’s the difference:
- Accountability is external—it’s about consequences, oversight, and enforcement. It says, “Do X, or face Y consequence.”
- Responsibility is internal—it’s about ownership, self-leadership, and personal commitment. It says, “I own this outcome, and I’ll do what it takes to succeed.”
The harder leaders push accountability, the less responsibility people take. According to Gallup’s latest 2024 Workplace Report, only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged at work—while the majority are either disengaged or actively checked out.
I once worked with an insurance company whose leadership created a culture of trust, collaboration, and empowerment. Then, a new leader took over a delayed project, eager to turn things around quickly.
Without much team input, she set aggressive timelines. As work progressed, unexpected complexities surfaced, causing deadlines to slip. Feeling pressure to deliver, she tightened control. Daily stand-ups became status updates about delays, not solutions. She pushed teams to increase velocity during sprint planning and adjust their estimates to match her timeline. Unintentionally, this communicated that meeting deadlines mattered more than solving problems.
Teams grew cautious, following instructions without highlighting risks and focusing on compliance rather than genuine problem-solving. By year-end, the project remained significantly behind schedule. Eventually, continued pressure led to leadership changes, and she was unfortunately transitioned out.
Reflecting on this experience, I don’t believe her intent was meant to be harmful. She was driven, committed, and eager to succeed. But intent doesn’t always match impact. This reinforced a key leadership truth for me: When accountability is enforced without fostering responsibility, teams comply—but they don’t commit. True ownership can’t be imposed; it emerges from trust, involvement, and shared purpose.
Pause for a moment—when was the last time your team took responsibility without being asked? What made that situation different? If ownership feels rare, consider your culture—not your people.
Understanding the Responsibility Process: How We Move Through It
Responsibility isn’t automatic—it’s a journey. When people face challenges, they often move through different mental states—some reach responsibility, while others get stuck in earlier ones.
Here’s what that process looks like:
- Denial – “This isn’t happening.”
- Blame – “It’s someone else’s fault.”
- Justify – “It’s not my fault because of X reason.”
- Shame – “I’m the problem.”
- Obligation – “I have to do this, but I don’t want to.”
- Quit – “I give up.”
- Responsibility – “I own this, and I will solve it.”
Adapted from The Responsibility Process® by Christopher Avery. Learn more at https://www.responsibility.com
I’ve experienced every stage of this process firsthand. While working with a healthcare client, I initially dismissed the challenges as typical resistance to change. When my team raised concerns, I encouraged them to strengthen relationships, thinking engagement was the issue. But the real problem wasn’t resistance—it was a culture built on control.
Then I shifted into blame—toward our disengaged sponsor and the client’s missing head of transformation.
Eventually, obligation set in – I didn’t personally need this contract, but I knew my team did. Many had struggled financially during COVID, and I wanted to support them.
Finally, I chose responsibility. I realized this client wasn’t a good fit and decided we wouldn’t renew our engagement. The moment I made that decision, calm replaced stress.
Responsibility isn’t easy, but it’s the only way forward. It thrives in the right culture—one that cultivates ownership instead of managing compliance. When people feel psychologically safe, knowing they won’t be punished for mistakes, they step up naturally.
Ask yourself: Are you enforcing accountability or fostering responsibility? The difference determines whether your team merely complies or truly commits.
Making the Shift: Practical Steps to Cultivate Responsibility
If you want a culture of responsibility, it won’t happen by accident. Here’s where to start:
- Change Your Language → Instead of “They should take responsibility,” ask, “What can I do to help them own this?”
- Stop Using Accountability as a Threat → If people do just enough to avoid getting in trouble, you don’t have accountability—you have compliance. Fear-driven environments don’t create high performers; they create employees who play it safe. Instead, build a culture where people step up because they want to, not because they have to.
- Foster Ownership in Others → Give teams autonomy, decision-making power, and the space to solve problems.
- Lead by Example → If you operate from blame or obligation, your teams will too. Be the model of responsibility.
In our Developing the Leader Within You workshop, an IT leader realized his biggest obstacle wasn’t his team—it was himself. He asked his teams, “What do you need to take full ownership of this?” Then, he removed unnecessary approvals and focused on enabling rather than controlling. Within six months, his teams became proactive, more engaged, and delivered better results.
That realization didn’t just apply to his team—I had to learn it for myself.
My Mindset Shift: Leading and Living with Responsibility
I didn’t always understand the difference between accountability and responsibility. For years, I believed holding people accountable was the key to performance. But the more I pushed accountability, the less ownership people took.
And it wasn’t just something I observed in others—I was living it, too. I blamed circumstances, justified situations I wasn’t happy with, and felt obligated rather than empowered. My perspective changed dramatically when I stopped waiting for things to change and took full ownership—not just of my work but also of my mindset, health, and leadership.
That’s the difference. Responsibility is chosen—and when leaders model it, teams follow.
This shift in thinking didn’t just change how I lead—it changed how I live.
My wake-up call came in 2020 when a doctor warned me about elevated blood pressure. I stopped making excuses, tracked my food, walked daily, and committed to regular yoga. Five years later, these habits stuck.
The same principle applies to leadership. When we model responsibility, everything changes. Teams stop waiting for directions and start leading themselves.
Lead the Change: Build a Culture of Responsibility
When teams take responsibility, collaboration strengthens, and decisions speed up. Responsibility doesn’t just happen—it’s built intentionally.
For leaders: Create environments where responsibility thrives. For individuals: Recognize where you are in The Responsibility Process® and commit to moving forward.
Is your team waiting for direction or stepping up? What you model, they follow. What kind of leader will you be?
