Leadership - Taking Accountability

I was watching a video on the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and what the Japanese Government is probably not telling the rest of the world. The person taking the video was talking to a farmer who lives 49 miles outside of Fukushima and did not know for few weeks that they were selling contaminated food to their customers. Once his father realized this, he was in an absolute state of shock and the sense of guilt was so high that he took the extreme step of committing suicide. When I saw this video I could not help but admire the Leadership of the farmer and his son though I do not agree with suicide.

Leadership is not just about what you do when people are watching but about being who you are when no one is watching. This farmer showed the highest level of accountability that I have ever experienced in my life and I thought, I would write this blog as a mark of respect to that departed soul and examine Accountability in the light of this incident.

Many a time, we wonder as to what Accountability is. It is such an oft repeated term in Leadership circles that it can mean different things to different people. What has worked for me is to look at Accountability as the Leader taking responsibility for the actions and outcomes of his/her team. The buck stops with him/her.

We have heard of the term "running to the fire"...a Leader who takes accountability for outcomes, runs to the fire. Not away from it. Organizations need such leaders. Leaders who put their likes/dislikes aside and think through for the organization. I am not stating that the leader should fall in love with the organization or be bound to it for the rest of his/her life. All I am stating is that as long as the leader works for the organization s/he should be fully committed and subordinate his/her likes/dislikes to those of the organization. We need leaders who will stand by what his/her team has done and face the consequences and during those tough moments, not pointing fingers. Finger pointing only works to cross purposes.

This farmer could have kept quiet or stated that he did not know of the nuclear contamination - which was the truth. Instead he chose to run to the fire and for that, he needs to be applauded. What I disagree with is that he jumped in to the fire. He left behind his son to face the consequence of his actions even though the society around knew that he had taken such an extreme step.  I saw that son in the video. He was calm and went through the conversation in a detached manner though I could see the pain when he came to the place where his father had given up his life. I saw the same Leadership in the son - he was facing the consequence and living with them. He could have also chosen to keep quiet on why his father died. But, he chose to speak about it. He wanted everyone to know that his father's death will not be in vain. He was living up to the highest of standards of accountability that his father had set.

I am amazed at this act given how commercial our world has become and the fact that money matters to us more than human beings. My prayers are with that Japanese family and I am sure that the death of that brave soul will only help more leaders crop up across the world. Leaders who want to make a difference to this world in a positive way. Leaders who put people above everything else.