A leader has succeeded in his task if his subordinates have reached the point where they no longer need his direction. When they show initiative, rely less on him and empower themselves to increase productivity. Inculcate these accountability virtues in your employees with a four-part cycle, a scheme that illustrates that accountability is an ongoing process to attain personal effectiveness.

This Cycle of Accountability consists of:

• The "before" phase: RESPONSIBILITY - establishing a mindset of ownership for the task and taking complete responsibility for getting it done.
• The "during" phase: EMPOWERMENT - doing whatever is necessary to complete the task, including identifying action steps, a timeline and using necessary resources.
• The "after" phase: ACCOUNTABILITY - owning the outcome of the task, good or bad, acknowledging it and learning from the experience.
• And Behind It All: CLEAR AGREEMENTS -- that hold the three stages together.

Participants learn to:

• Ensure every task has a clearly defined owner and agreement
• Empower themselves to keep their agreements
• Hold others accountable
• Be accountable without being defensive
• Learn from mistakes