Entrepreneurship is not as easy as it may seem. Being your own boss – and often the boss of others – puts a fair amount of responsibility on your shoulders. How do you succeed? One of the most important elements on your path to success as a small business owner is by taking accountability.
Ac·count·a·bil·i·ty
/əˌkoun(t)əˈbilədē/
noun
taking ownership and accepting responsibility for your actions. This includes owning up to your faults as a business person.
The Biggest Hurdle
One of the perks of being your own boss is that you set your own deadlines, you set up your calendar, and you do what you want to… when you want to. Small business owners typically do not have anyone to be accountable to. That there is their biggest hurdle with accountability. By the same token, entrepreneurship takes discipline (no matter how good the excuse is), especially if you are a small business owner.
Procrastination gets to us all. We succumb to the feeling of not wanting to do something. We don’t follow through with something we gave our word on. I get it. It happens… but don’t let it happen a lot.
How It Affects Small Business Owners
Accountability is crucially important not just because taking ownership of your company is important but because it knocks your confidence level.
When you start proving to yourself time and time again that you are not a person of your word, it changes your perception of yourself. Lacking that confidence can prevent yourself from getting that big deal, having breakthroughs and honestly, seeing yourself as a champion. When you do not take responsibility for your actions continuously, you stop believing in yourself, your abilities and your potential.
People, employees, team members, do what they see not what they hear. This is key. You can preach accountability all you want, but if you’re not practicing accountability,no one will follow what you say. You’re the heart of your small business, you should be the most proud, confident, fearless, convicted person on your team!
The Solution
To cultivate an environment that practices accountability at its fullest, you have to start with yourself. Start the New Year with getting real with yourself. Fillet yourself open and really evaluate areas you want to work on.
If at this point you realize that you are not the most accountable person, and you have not been the best at following through with goals, commitments, etc., find yourself an accountability partner. You know, like the ones you get when you want to start going to the gym? That one person who tells you how it is no matter what? Tough love if you will. That’s the type of person you want to lock arms with as an accountability partner. They won’t tolerate excuses. They will call it how they see it. This may very well be one of your employees, managers, team members or even possibly an outsider who doesn’t know the details but can give you an unbiased opinion.
Once you start practicing accountability, it will naturally overflow to your team.
