I’ve heard these very words in coaching sessions through the years:
“I’m carrying too much of an executive’s work.”
When one or more C-suite leaders avoid commitments, mishandle important projects, or show poor judgment in delicate situations, you don’t just lose performance—you lose altitude. Your energy, attention, and strategic headroom get siphoned into rework and refereeing.
Why Accountability Breaks Down
Ambiguity in expectations. Senior leaders are expected to “know what to do,” so CEOs may neglect clarity and regular feedback.
Relationship gravity. Longtime colleagues become exceptions to the rule.
Busyness theater. Decks, meetings, and dashboards replace results.
Delayed courage. Hard conversations arrive months late—after the quarter is gone.
What the Most Effective CEOs Do (Consistently)
Make outcomes unmissable. Define one to three enterprise outcomes each executive owns this quarter: “By Sept 30, reduce voluntary regretted attrition from 14% to ≤9%,” not “improve retention.” Tie each to a single name. (That “single neck to ring” is how you beat the 20% accountability trap at the top.) Source: Deloitte Insights
Hold quarterly strategic off-sites. Teams that supplement annual strategy sessions with quarterly, all-day, non-interruptible reviews stay aligned in real time. Discipline is required to stick to strategy instead of letting tactical issues creep in. More on the value of time together »
Model transparency. Share your own key commitments—and when you miss, explain what happened and how you’re course-correcting. Invite challenge by asking, “What obstacles are in the way?” and “What evidence proves we’re on track?”
Prioritize the critical few. If everything matters, nothing does. Re-rank priorities publicly when conditions change; call out what stops.
Listen, coach, and counsel. Hold monthly one-to-one sessions. Find out how each of your key executives is doing—really. Listen for what they need to learn, adjust, or tackle in new ways, both professionally and personally. Why one-to-one sessions matter »
When It’s Still Not Working
Use this quick diagnostic to decide your next move. The fixes are straightforward and logical—but behaviorally complex. Emotional intelligence (Truth and Grace) is essential. Under each FIX, I’ve noted the corresponding challenge.
Skill Problem (Can’t)
Fix: Targeted coaching, peer shadowing, and time-boxed support (30–60 days).
Challenge: CEOs often hesitate to admit skills are lacking—sometimes because they missed it in the hiring process. Avoidance only prolongs the pain.
Will Problem (Won’t)
Fix: Reset consequences and incentives; move critical work to someone who will own it.
Challenge: Dealing with denial, excuses, or defensiveness is exhausting. Keep boundaries firm. Truth with Grace preserves relationships and models the culture you want.
Fit Problem (Miscast)
Fix: Redesign scope or swap seats—fast.
Challenge: If performance lags after a reset with dates, data, and support, a hard call is required. As Patrick Lencioni reminds us, keeping the wrong leader is unfair to the right ones. Boards increasingly reward decisive CEO accountability—and punish drift. Source: Deloitte Insights
Your 30-Day Accountability Reset (Field-Tested)
Week 1: Clarify. Publish a one-page “Q3 Outcomes & Owners” list (outcomes → metrics → due dates → one owner). Clarity combats the diffusion identified in WSJ/Deloitte research.
Week 2: Commit. Each exec posts 3–5 two-week commitments tied to those outcomes, with evidence required.
Week 3: Inspect. Hold the first commitments review. Celebrate one measurable win, coach one stuck item per leader. No slides, no spin.
Week 4: Consequence. If an exec misses with weak ownership, hold an immediate one-to-one session and take appropriate action.
Tough Conversation Scripts (Steal These)
Expectation reset:
“By Oct 31, you own shipping the new pricing engine with <2% defect rate and +3 pts gross margin. What weekly evidence will we both see?”Early slip:
“You’re two weeks behind. What’s your recovery plan by Friday, and what must stop to make room?”Pattern call-out:
“We’ve had three cycles of missed commitments and optimistic updates. I’m moving fraud rules to Priya now so customers aren’t exposed. Let’s meet at 3pm to rewrite your scope accordingly.”
Guard Your Energy (and the Enterprise)
Here’s the math: if 80%+ of leaders struggle to enforce accountability, your competitive advantage is simply being the CEO who doesn’t blink—who makes outcomes explicit, inspects them regularly, and applies consequences swiftly and fairly.
That’s how you reclaim hours for strategy, culture, and investors—and how your best people finally feel the wind at their backs.
This is a wonderful quick hit, Elaine. It’s the anti thesis of drifting into budget season.