Concordia University Texas

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS

1926-2013

Beginning our 87th year

LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY: THE BUCK STOPS HERE

What is leadership accountability?

How does a leader make hard decisions as a result of accountability?

“The Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7

LEADERSHIP THEORY You need to have led something before

you can write about leadership

Leadership vs. management false dichotomy

Trust and competence Covey

LEADERSHIP ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability is the basis for trust

How build trust: Understanding what are we as leaders and

followers accountable for. Making decisions as a result of that

accountability

PLANNING

5+ Years StrategicPlan

(Entire Organization)

OperationalPlans

(Divisions, Councils, Committees)

TacticalPlans

(Teams, Individuals)

Monthly,Weekly, Daily

1 Year

Where are we going?

How will we get there?

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ACCOUNTABILITY

At each planning level: Leaders and followers must know what they are accountable for Sources of understanding

accountability Federal and state law Board defined limitations and outcomes Parent and student expectations Faculty and staff expectations

DECISIONS

Accountability transcends leadership models It operationalizes leadership

The second issue is making decisions Failures most often occur at the

operational—tactical levels

Tactical

Strategic

Operational

TWO CASESFailure to make decisions:

Leader doesn’t have access to the answer

Leader has access to the correct course

of action

LEADER DOESN’T HAVE THE ANSWER

Poor planning, bad information Addressing the wrong issue Failure in vision Failure to have the right people on

boardLencioni (Five Temptations of a CEO)Choose clarity over certaintyChoose results over statusChoose trust over invulnerability

LEADER HAS THE CORRECT COA

Excess optimism, failure to face facts

Misplaced faithPray, trust, act

Peer and supervisory pressure Fear

Lencioni (Five Temptations of a CEO)Choose conflict over harmonyChoose accountability over popularity

SOLUTIONS Accountability

Boards must hold leaders accountable Staff must hold leaders accountable

Leadership must accept responsibility Not be afraid Can’t be everyone’s friend

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Include opportunities to make hard decisions

Allow leaders room to fail Remove fear Courage and integrity—primary

criteria Continual assessment

Empowering People

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Developing and Teaching* a

curriculum designed to accomplish our mission

Modeling* Christian leadership as a faculty, staff and administration

Providing opportunities for our students to Practice* Christian leadership

Recognizing* Christian leadership*Used by Christ to equip His followers

CONCLUSION

Accountability is a fundamental responsibility of the people we entrust with leadership

Practice and experience Winnowing process

REFERENCESCovey, Stephen M.R., Speed of Trust, New York, Simon and Schuster (Free Press), 2006. Print.

Lencioni, Patrick, The Five Temptations of a CEO, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998. Print.

Maxwell, John, ed., The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Bibles, 2002. Print.

Ricks, Thomas E., “General Failure”, The Atlantic, November 2012:98-109. Print and Web 12 November 2012.