The A Player Series: Accountability

 

This is a hot topic word in the church word. But how many of us actually have it in our lives? I’m talking about real-deal accountability. Not just a check-in call every now and then from a leader in your life. But accountability that really digs deep and asks the hard questions, and isn’t afraid to confront you. An A player on a team isn’t complaining about going over weekly reports, or keeping scores, or tracking attendance. They aren’t bothered by someone taking notes and watching how they are performing. They aren’t even bothered one bit by it. B + C players feel like you are putting pressure on them. But an A player thrives on it. The value systems of accountability because they know it is for their good and ultimately for their protection. I wonder how many leaders might have been protected and not taken out of the ministry if they had better accountability in their lives. As believers, our lives must be an open book. We have seen too many leaders falling into sin and being exposed. And we must ask ourselves: Do we really want accountability or do we just want to feel good about ourselves? How do we welcome accountability in our lives? If you are afraid of it, ask yourself why.

 

Accountability doesn’t mean it gives others the permission to judge us, but it gives them the permission to call out the blind spots in our lives we may not be able to see and help us find freedom and grow into better leaders.

 

An A player loves the report card. They actually thrive off of having someone point out their weaknesses. They have a healthy desire to be called out because they know it is for their good. They don’t want to live their lives in the dark. They don’t wait for the quarterly review or even for their leaders above them to initiate a 1O1 with them. They frequently welcome input by asking: How am I doing? Is there anything you see in me that I can grow in? How can I become better? What are the blindspots I may not be seeing in myself? Will you speak into that?

 

A Players learn to love hard conversations. Not so they can feel like they are a winner or loser, rather see if they are putting their energy into the right things, and how they can continue to grow.