The Accountable Leader

About the Author

Brian Dive is an esteemed international manager, writer, and consultant with four decades of experience in organization and leadership. He developed the Leadership Levels program, which has been implemented globally in about 100 countries over the past ten years. Dive served as Chairman of the New York Conference Board's Council on International Organization and Management for eleven years, collaborating with leading multinationals. He currently runs his own business, DMA Consultancy.

Main Idea

The core of "The Accountable Leader" revolves around three interconnected themes: leadership, accountability, and organizational structure. Brian Dive explores how accountability is integral to organizational architecture, which in turn fosters effective leadership and career development. He emphasizes that the structure of organizations profoundly impacts the effectiveness of managerial leaders and the well-being of future leaders. Dive also delves into the repercussions of poorly designed organizations, which can lead to talented staff leaving due to inefficiency and lack of accountability.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Accountability
2. The Ten Key Management Accountabilities
3. Indicators of Unsound Accountability
4. Organizing for Accountability
5. Leadership and Leadership Development
6. Decision Making Accountability (DMA) Solution Set
7. Seven Elements of DMA
8. Front-Line Accountability
9. Managing the Front Line
10. Managing Managers
11. Managing on a Global Stage
12. Organizational Design, Accountability, and Leadership in Practice
13. Leadership Development Schemes: Success Stories
14. The Accountable Leader: Key Ideas

Introduction to Accountability

Accountability is a vital component of successful organizations. Dive asserts that lack of accountability leads to excessive costs, de-motivation among employees, customer dissatisfaction, and suboptimal performance. Positive accountability empowers individuals, granting them freedom to perform effectively, whereas negative accountability restricts their abilities. True accountability involves clarity, transparency, and participation, fostering a proactive commitment to the organization’s purpose.

The Ten Key Management Accountabilities

Dive outlines ten critical accountabilities for managers:

• Deciding team composition and managing budgets.
• Allocating tasks and scheduling work.
• Securing employee commitment and providing necessary resources.
• Offering constructive feedback and managing performance appraisals.
• Ensuring team members meet their obligations and adjusting goals as needed.
• Providing solutions to problems.
• Implementing change initiatives.
• Achieving results from peers and colleagues without direct control.
• Collaborating with external agencies such as customers and suppliers.
• Setting and achieving goals in terms of quality, quantity, and service.

Indicators of Unsound Accountability

Dive provides a checklist for CEOs to identify faulty organizational design:

• Unclear purpose and priorities.
• Delayed and inappropriate decision-making.
• Duplication of work.
• Excessive and ineffective meetings.
• Cultures of long and excessive work hours.
• Managers intervening in their team members’ decision space.
• Multiple, small authorization steps causing delays.
• Grading systems creating unnecessary jobs for administrative promotions.
• High turnover of talented staff.
• Top management perceives a capability problem.

Organizing for Accountability

Dive argues that the 21st-century challenge is building accountable organizations with clearly defined, differentiated, and understood accountabilities that motivate and provide meaning to employees. Accountable organizations reward performance, provide necessary resources, and establish consequences for unmet commitments. Many organizations, however, suffer from unclear directions, faulty strategies, poor design, and negative cultures.

Leadership and Leadership Development

Dive emphasizes distributed leadership across all levels, from the front line to top management. Leadership development must focus on the entire hierarchy, not just the CEO. Effective job evaluation and promotion systems, avoiding excessive grading and status, are crucial for nurturing capable leaders.

Decision Making Accountability (DMA) Solution Set

The DMA Solution Set outlines principles for organizational design and empowerment. It involves taking decisions in seven key zones (Elements) that align with organizational purpose and strategy, adding value while enabling individual growth.

Seven Elements of DMA

The Seven Elements serve as a guide for evaluating job value and determining job location within an organization: