Leadership Through Accountability: Owning Mistakes and Building a Better Future
By Dr. Brian D. Wickstrom
Accountability is one of the most important — and misunderstood — qualities of leadership. People often associate accountability with blame, punishment, or pointing fingers. But real accountability is something much deeper, healthier, and more transformative.
Accountability is the willingness to say:
“I own my part — and I’m committed to doing better.”
Over the course of my career, I’ve had countless opportunities to make decisions, guide teams, and navigate complex environments. I’ve also had moments where I’ve had to reflect, evaluate what could have been handled differently, and hold myself to the same standards I expect from others.
Those moments, although never easy, strengthened my leadership.
Accountability Begins With Honesty
Leadership requires honesty — not only with others, but with yourself. When things don’t go as planned, it’s natural to want to explain, justify, or protect your reputation. But accountability requires a different response:
Step back
Remove emotion
Look at the facts
Accept your role
Communicate clearly
Learn forward
Honesty builds credibility. And credibility is the currency of leadership.
Owning Mistakes Increases Trust, Not Weakens It
Many leaders fear that admitting mistakes will make them appear weak. In my experience across athletics, higher education, and business, the opposite is true.
People trust leaders who:
Acknowledge missteps
Correct issues quickly
Communicate openly
Model humility
Show they’re still learning
Teams are far more loyal to leaders who are real than leaders who pretend to be perfect.
Accountability Strengthens Organizational Culture
Accountability sets the tone for culture. When leaders take responsibility, it:
Encourages others to do the same
Lowers defensiveness
Reduces blame-shifting
Improves communication
Creates psychological safety
Strengthens teamwork
One of the best cultural environments I ever led was a place where staff felt safe enough to say, “That didn’t go as planned — let’s fix it together.”
That kind of culture starts with leaders who model ownership.
Accountability Requires Listening, Not Reacting
Leadership accountability isn’t just about speaking the truth — it’s also about hearing it.
That means being open when people offer feedback, even when the message is uncomfortable.
I’ve learned to ask myself:
What part of this feedback is accurate?
What can I learn from it?
How can I respond constructively?
What changes will strengthen our team?
How can I communicate with more clarity?
Leaders grow when they listen.
Organizations grow when leaders grow.
Accountability During Public or High-Pressure Moments
Public-facing leadership roles — especially in athletics and education — can place leaders under intense scrutiny. Opinions form quickly. Narratives spread. Information gets interpreted differently by different groups.
In these moments, accountability means:
Staying calm
Remaining factual
Avoiding emotional responses
Leaning on values
Communicating with integrity
Allowing truth and time to clarify situations
Your response becomes your reputation.
Accountability doesn’t guarantee everyone will agree with you —
but it ensures you can stand confidently in who you are.
Owning Your Story Helps You Move Forward
Accountability is not just about what happened — it’s about what happens next.
Leaders who take responsibility:
Heal faster
Move forward sooner
Earn trust more quickly
Build stronger relationships
Strengthen their leadership influence
Self-protection delays growth.
Accountability accelerates it.
Conclusion: Accountability Is the Leadership Legacy That Lasts
Over time, people won’t remember every decision you made.
But they will remember:
Your integrity
Your honesty
Your transparency
Your willingness to take responsibility
Your commitment to growth
Your character during difficult seasons
Leadership through accountability leaves a legacy of trust — and trust outlasts any title.
Further Reading
• Leadership Through Personal Accountability
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/leadership-through-personal-accountability
• Ethical Leadership & Organizational Trust
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/ethical-leadership-accountability
• Executive Leadership Philosophy
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/executive-leadership-philosophy
Further Reading
• Building High-Performance Teams in Leadership
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/building-high-performance-teams
Look at these two articles from my experience at St. John Bosco:
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/articles/st-john-bosco-student-centered-leadership-wickstrom
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/articles/st-john-bosco-operational-excellence-wickstrom
