CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS
1926-2013
Beginning our 87th year
LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY: THE BUCK STOPS HERE
What is leadership accountability?
How does a leader make hard decisions as a result of accountability?
“The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7
LEADERSHIP THEORY You need to have led something before
you can write about leadership
Leadership vs. management false dichotomy
Trust and competence Covey
LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability is the basis for trust
How build trust: Understanding what are we as leaders and
followers accountable for. Making decisions as a result of that
accountability
PLANNING
5+ Years StrategicPlan
(Entire Organization)
OperationalPlans
(Divisions, Councils, Committees)
TacticalPlans
(Teams, Individuals)
Monthly,Weekly, Daily
1 Year
Where are we going?
How will we get there?
Incr
easin
g sc
ope
& ti
me,
hor
izon,
dec
reas
ing
deta
il
ACCOUNTABILITY
At each planning level: Leaders and followers must know what they are accountable for Sources of understanding
accountability Federal and state law Board defined limitations and outcomes Parent and student expectations Faculty and staff expectations
DECISIONS
Accountability transcends leadership models It operationalizes leadership
The second issue is making decisions Failures most often occur at the
operational—tactical levels
Tactical
Strategic
Operational
TWO CASESFailure to make decisions:
Leader doesn’t have access to the answer
Leader has access to the correct course
of action
LEADER DOESN’T HAVE THE ANSWER
Poor planning, bad information Addressing the wrong issue Failure in vision Failure to have the right people on
boardLencioni (Five Temptations of a CEO)Choose clarity over certaintyChoose results over statusChoose trust over invulnerability
LEADER HAS THE CORRECT COA
Excess optimism, failure to face facts
Misplaced faithPray, trust, act
Peer and supervisory pressure Fear
Lencioni (Five Temptations of a CEO)Choose conflict over harmonyChoose accountability over popularity
SOLUTIONS Accountability
Boards must hold leaders accountable Staff must hold leaders accountable
Leadership must accept responsibility Not be afraid Can’t be everyone’s friend
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Include opportunities to make hard decisions
Allow leaders room to fail Remove fear Courage and integrity—primary
criteria Continual assessment
Empowering People
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Developing and Teaching* a
curriculum designed to accomplish our mission
Modeling* Christian leadership as a faculty, staff and administration
Providing opportunities for our students to Practice* Christian leadership
Recognizing* Christian leadership*Used by Christ to equip His followers
CONCLUSION
Accountability is a fundamental responsibility of the people we entrust with leadership
Practice and experience Winnowing process
REFERENCESCovey, Stephen M.R., Speed of Trust, New York, Simon and Schuster (Free Press), 2006. Print.
Lencioni, Patrick, The Five Temptations of a CEO, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998. Print.
Maxwell, John, ed., The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Bibles, 2002. Print.
Ricks, Thomas E., “General Failure”, The Atlantic, November 2012:98-109. Print and Web 12 November 2012.