Episode 307: Accountability Isn't Punishment - How Great Leaders Grow People

Darrin Peppard (00:00)

All right, my friends, welcome into episode 307 of the Leaning Into Leadership Podcast. Have you ever had an employee who you knew was just incredibly talented? Someone you genuinely believed in, but they just kept making mistakes. And it wasn't because they weren't capable or because they were distracted, but rather because something about the way they approached their work just kept getting in their way.

And after a while, you started wondering how many more conversations you were going to have to have with this employee? How many more times were you going to have to explain the same expectation? How many more chances are you going to give them? And maybe, just maybe, you started thinking it might be easier to just simply move on from this employee. Now today I want to talk about that space in leadership.

The uncomfortable place between believing in someone's potential and holding them accountable for their performance. Because here's something I've come to believe pretty strongly over the years: accountability isn't supposed to be about punishment. Punishment to gain compliance has never worked as a leadership strategy. Really, to me, accountability is supposed to be about helping people get

better.

That doesn't mean that there aren't consequences. It doesn't mean that we ignore mistakes or lower our standards. It certainly doesn't mean that we allow one person's performance to negatively impact everybody else. But I do think sometimes we get accountability wrong. We spend so much time focusing on what someone did wrong that we forget one of our most important responsibilities as leaders is to help people learn how to get it right.

I've got a story from my own leadership experience that I will share today that really brings this home for me. But first, before we do that, a quick word from the partners who make this podcast possible. Today's episode is brought to you in part by the Curriculum Leadership Institute, or CLI. Now, I've had the opportunity to work with CLI twice during my career, once as a principal and again as a superintendent, and I've experienced firsthand.

The value of their approach to curriculum leadership. CLI helps school districts build clarity and consistency around what students are expected to learn while developing the systems and leadership capacity to make that work sustainable. And if you've listened to this show for any length of time, you know how much I believe in the power of clarity and intentionality. If your district is looking to strengthen its curriculum leadership work, I encourage you.

To check out my friends at the Curriculum Leadership Institute at Cliweb.org. And here's something special for our listeners. Mention the Leaning Into Leadership Podcast when you connect with CLI, and you'll receive a 5% discount for your first year of services while you work with CLI. Great leadership starts with clarity, and CLI can help you and your district build that. Once again, that address is Cliweb.org.

We're also grateful for the support of our friends at Hay Tutor. As school leaders, we know that improving student outcomes takes more than just good intentions. It takes the right people, the right support, and the right opportunities for students to succeed. Now, Hey Tutor, they partner with schools and districts to provide high quality tutoring and academic support in both English language arts and mathematics.

Helping students get the individualized attention they need while supporting the educators and leaders working hard to move learning forward. Whether your district is focused on closing learning gaps, expanding academic support, or helping more students reach their potential, Heytutor is a partner worth exploring. Learn more about them at Haytutor.com and be sure to check out the link in today's show notes.

Use that link to let them know that you heard about Hey Tutor here on this podcast. Thanks again to Hey Tutor for sponsoring and supporting the Leaning Into Leadership Podcast and the incredible work that they are doing in schools every single day. All right, leaders, let me take you back to a situation I experienced during my years in school leadership. I had an employee who was incredibly talented, and this person brought a tremendous amount of energy to the organization.

They were enthusiastic, eager to take on challenges, and never afraid to jump into the work. And I loved that about them. As leaders, we want people who take initiative. We want people who see a problem and are willing to do something about it. We want people who don't sit around waiting to be told what to do. But there's a downside to that kind of energy when it isn't.

Paired with intentionality. You see, this particular employee had a habit of charging headlong into situations without taking the time to really understand the entire story. They'd hear something, they'd make an assumption, and immediately they would jump into action. And sometimes that created problems for the rest of us in the organization. That was really a big challenge. We got to do that again. And sometimes that created problems.

Not just for them, but for other people in the organization. Now, the easy thing would have been to say, this person just doesn't get it. And believe me, there were moments where I was definitely frustrated. We had conversations about slowing down, about gathering information before making decisions. We talked about recognizing that what you do as a member of the team impacts everybody else that's a part of the team.

And then something else would happen. Another mistake, another situation where they just moved too quickly. That led to another conversation. And I think this is where leadership gets really interesting. Because at some point you have to make a decision. Am I going to continue investing in this person or am I going to start looking for a way to move on? Now let me be clear. There are absolutely times when moving on is the right decision.

And we'll talk about that in a few minutes. But in this particular situation, I knew something about this employee that really mattered. I knew their talent. I knew their skills. More importantly, I knew their heart. I knew they wanted to do good work. I knew they cared about the organization. And I knew that if they could learn to slow down and become more intentional, they had the potential to be an exceptional member of our team.

So I didn't give up. But here's the important part. I didn't lower the standard either. We continued having conversations, continued talking about expectations, and I continued holding this employee accountable for the impact of their decisions. But I also became very intentional about something else. Recognizing when they got it right. When they took the time to ask questions before jumping into a situation, I noticed.

When they paused to consider how a decision might impact other people, I reinforced it. When they demonstrated the kind of judgment we'd been talking about, I made sure they knew that I had seen that growth. And over time, that employee became one of the strongest members of my team. Heck, they now lead their own team. Think about that for a moment. Someone who could have easily been written off.

after a few repeated mistakes, became an incredible asset to our organization and is now an incredible asset to someone else's organization. And it wasn't because we ignored the problems. It was because we addressed them while continuing to believe in the person. I think sometimes we've allowed the word accountability to become almost synonymous with punishment.

When we hear that someone is being held accountable, we immediately think about disciplinary action, a written warning, a formal improvement plan, maybe even termination. And listen, those things have a place. Every organization needs clear expectations and fair, consistent processes for addressing performance concerns. But I worry that we sometimes jump too quickly.

From identifying a problem to thinking about what the consequences will be. What if our first question wasn't, how do I document what this person did wrong? What if it was, what does this person need to understand, learn, or change in order to be successful? Now those questions aren't mutually exclusive. Sometimes we do need to document concerns while also coaching for improvement. But it's the mindset that matters.

Because when you approach a conversation believing someone can grow, you're going to lead that conversation differently than if you have already decided that they're a lost cause. And the employee is probably going to feel that difference in the conversation. Think about your own experiences for a moment. Have you ever had a leader who seemed to be waiting for you to make a mistake? Someone who was quick to point out what went wrong, but rarely acknowledged when you did well?

How did that affect your confidence? Your willingness to take risk, your relationship with that leader. Now think about someone who held you to high expectations but also helped you reach them. Someone who challenged you, who gave you honest feedback, someone who recognized when you made progress. That's the kind of leadership I want us to think about today.

Because there's a difference between documenting someone's mistakes and developing someone's capacity. And while both can be necessary, we should never lose sight of our responsibility as leaders to grow people. Now here's another question I want you to think about. When an employee makes the same mistake for the third time, are you simply having the same conversation for the third time?

Or are you changing your approach? I think this is something we need to examine as leaders. It's easy to get frustrated and say, I've already told them this. We've already talked about it. They should know better. And maybe they should. But if the conversation isn't producing improvement, we have to ask whether the employee truly understands what needs to change and whether our approach is helping them get there.

Sometimes we can just be way too vague. We tell someone they need to communicate better, demonstrate more professionalism, or show greater initiative. But what does that actually mean? What specifically needs to look different tomorrow? What behaviors are we asking them to change? What evidence would tell both of us that improvement is truly happening? This is where clarity becomes so important.

Now, if you've heard me speak or followed my work for any length of time, you know I talk constantly about clarity and intentionality. And here's why. Without clarity, accountability becomes 100% subjective. Without intentionality, follow-through becomes inconsistent. We can't expect people to hit a target they can't clearly see. And we can't expect sustained improvement if we aren't willing to provide consistent.

Feedback along the way. That doesn't mean taking responsibility for someone else's performance. Employees have to own their actions and they have to be responsible for their own growth. But as leaders, we have to create the conditions where that growth is possible. Now, I want to come back to something from my story because I think it's one of the most overlooked parts of accountability. We have to catch people getting it right. Now

I know that sounds simple, maybe even a little elementary, maybe even a little Pollyanna, but think about how often we do the opposite. When someone's struggling, we become incredibly aware of every mistake that they make. We notice every missed deadline, every poor decision, every interaction that just flat didn't go well. And sometimes, without even realizing it, we begin looking for evidence that confirms what we've already decided to be true.

about that employee. But what about the moments when they demonstrate growth? Are we paying just as much attention?

In my experience, those moments matter tremendously. When that employee I mentioned earlier began slowing down and gathering information before making decisions, I wanted them to know that I noticed. Not because I was handing out compliments just for doing the bare minimum either, but because I wanted to reinforce the behaviors that would help them become more successful. To me, that is intentional leadership.

We identify what needs to change, we communicate the expectation, we provide support, and we recognize progress. And then we keep doing it. Because meaningful growth rarely happens after one single conversation. It happens through consistent expectations, feedback, reflection, and follow

through.

Now, I don't want anyone listening today to walk away thinking I'm suggesting that we just keep giving people chances indefinitely. That's not accountability either. As leaders, we have a responsibility to the entire organization, to the entire team. And when one employee consistently fails to meet expectations, the impact rarely stops with just that one person.

Someone else has to pick up the slack. Someone else has to repair a relationship or correct a mistake. And over time, people begin to wonder why the expectation seems to be different for different members of the team. That can be a culture problem. And it's one we cannot afford to ignore. So, yes, I believe deeply in coaching people, supporting their growth, and recognizing their potential, but

I also believe in maintaining high standards.

There are situations where an employee doesn't respond to feedback, where appropriate support has been provided, expectations have been clearly communicated, and meaningful improvement still doesn't happen. And there are situations where the seriousness of the conduct requires immediate formal action.

When those moments come, leaders have to make difficult decisions, following the policies, the procedures, and the employee protections that apply to their organization. Because caring about one employee cannot mean abandoning our responsibilities to everyone else. Here's the distinction I want you to remember. Compassion doesn't mean avoiding consequence. And accountability doesn't mean abandoning compassion.

The best leaders understand how to hold both of these truths at the same time. So I want to challenge you as we come to the end of this podcast to get up on the balcony with me for a moment. I want you to think about the people that you lead. Is there someone on your team right now who's struggling? Someone you know has talent and potential, but isn't consistently meeting expectations?

Maybe you've already had a conversation or two with this employee. Maybe you're frustrated because you haven't seen the improvement that you expect. Maybe you've been avoiding the conversation altogether because you don't want to damage the relationship you have with that person.

So I want you to ask yourself three questions. First, have I been absolutely clear about what needs to change? Not just what I'm unhappy about, but what successful performance actually looks like. Second, have I been intentional about providing the support and follow-through that could help this person improve? And third, am I recognizing their growth or am I only noticing their mistakes?

Those questions won't solve every performance problem, but they might change how you approach the next conversation. And that conversation might make a bigger difference than you realize.

I think back to that employee from my own leadership journey. And I'm grateful that I didn't give up on that person. I'm grateful that we kept having the conversations. I'm grateful that I recognized their potential even when their performance wasn't where it needed to be. And I'm grateful I had the opportunity to watch them become one of the strongest members of my team. Because that's one of the most rewarding parts of leadership. Watching people grow into something greater than where they started.

Not that every story ends that way. I know that. I've had plenty of difficult personnel situations where the outcome wasn't what I hoped that it would be. But I don't want us to become so focused on holding people accountable for their mistakes that we forget to help them build on their strengths. Leadership is about creating the conditions where other people can do their best work. And sometimes creating those conditions means having the difficult conversation.

Sometimes it means setting a higher expectation. Sometimes it means providing support, encouragement, and recognition. And sometimes it means making a decision we'd rather not have to make. But through all of it, we have an opportunity to lead with clarity, intentionality, and compassion. So here's my final thought for you for today. Don't confuse holding someone accountable with giving up on them.

Sometimes the greatest investment we can make in another person is believing in their potential while refusing to lower the standard. That is how we grow people. That's how we build strong teams. That's how we keep building the next mile of the road to awesome. Hey, thanks so much for joining me here this week on the Leaning Into Leadership Podcast.

As always, rate, review, subscribe, share this episode with someone else who might enjoy leaning into leadership. Get out there, folks, and have a road to awesome week.