Salesman-turned-CEO Dave's parents instilled in him a four-point definition of accountability: Do what you said. Finish what you start. Say please and thank you. Be on time.
"Yes" is not an honest word when the person who says it is agreeing to something he knows he can't do by the promised deadline.
"Accountability is a holistic thing. It's not about making one good decision. It starts when the alarm clock goes off. Am I going to hit the snooze, or am I going to get out of bed?" - Bryan Morrell
Once you accept what is, you can figure out which risks and actions are necessary to get you what you would like to have, to earn the commissions you would like to earn, to take the trips you would like to take.
You can decide to be a victim of your circumstances, or you can outsmart them by taking the action necessary to get what you need or want.
Every morning, choose to own your day.
Winners live in a world of absolute clarity.
Highly accountable people empower themselves to do what they have to do to get what they want. They don't wait for others to empower them; they know that's not how it works.
They don't wait for success to happen; they make it happen by taking the risks and actions they believe will grease the wheels of their progress.
If you decide to accept a job that you wind up hating, or if you decide to keep a job that makes you unhappy, you are accountable.
Be accountable for the compromises you make.
If you want to succeed but you don't know what success is, you won't achieve it.
What is the gap between today and the day you are a success?
Write a definition of success for each part of your life: professional, financial, health, home life, and community.
Unless you are accountable to what the public perception is going to be, people aren't going to think that of you.
You choose how others perceive you. You are accountable for how others perceive you.
I have an attitude that if you just do what you know is the right thing to do, the commissions and the fees all take care of themselves.
Everybody has twenty-four hours a day. You can do with it what you like. So whether you choose to browse the internet, or hang out at lunch and chill out, or work, ultimately the fruits of your efforts are shown in your business.
Once you know what you want -- for your day, your year, or your life -- you have to work for it. Don't wait for it. Work for it.
Industry research shows it takes an average of fourteen tries to make contact with a prospect.
Asking for help is a way to help yourself.
Don't throw your hands up and say, "I can't do this." That is a choice to fail.
Apologizing to yourself doesn't get you to the gym in the morning.
How often do you apologize every day?
Remove the "I'm sorry" from each of these apologies. Once you do, these statements have power they did not have before.
People typically won't think any more of you than you think of yourself.
Try this experiment for one week: Preface every suggestion, proposal, or opinion with a positive statement.
Display your self-confidence and self-worth by dropping any hint of self-deprication.
If you truly believe you have something to be sorry about, choose to change your habits so you don't.
Good choices rarely lead to regret.
Remove the good, bad, right, and wrong. Remove what should be or shouldn't be. All that remains is clarity.
What are you doing in exchange for money that's making you unhappy? Identify it and act on it. It's your choice.
The hallmark of a true team is that the group doesn't need a boss.
A high-performing team has a goal, a clear definition of success, clear roles, and the trust to depend on each other to get the job done. Each team member values every other member's contribution. Each team member understands the consequences.
Define before you assign.
Accountability is a mindset.
A team that doesn't embrace 100% personal accountability is not a true team. It's a group of people working toward a common goal -- and hoping everyone does his or her part.
If you own the outcome of your actions before you know their results, you will stand out as a consistent, clarifying force in a world of inconsistent accountability.
Members of a true team conduct business out in the open.
Do not say "yes" to anything before you fully understand what you're agreeing to.
The accountable team member has no time for finding fault, placing blame, or even feeling guilty.
Look at your missteps, admit them, figure out how to avoid them next time, and move on.
In the long run, the only true way to succeed is honestly.
The person who is "the one" on a team very often has a hard time seeing that he would be more successful if he embraced the support of his teammates and allowed their talents to shine as well.
I can't ask others to work harder if I'm not doing it myself.
The culture of an organization flows down from the top.
Low retention is a symptom of poor hiring.
The more barriers to entry they create, the better the chance that they will find the best people.
Listen carefully for words that reveal how much the candidate cares about other people and about doing the right thing: honest, respectful, punctual, curious, accountable. Beware of adjectives that indicate an "all-about-me" mindset: carefree, fun, laid back.
You expect too much of me. I fail. You're disappointed because I failed. You make us both victims.
The accountable action is full disclosure.
It's about knowing what you want and then taking the action and the risks you need to reach that goal.
Know what I want. What am I doing to get it?
Unclear expectation are the bane of a leader's existence, both in the giving and in the getting.
Accountability can be a puzzle. Be accountable and figure yourself out.
Winners define compliance as doing the right thing -- even when nobody is looking.
The more personally accountable you are, the fewer rules and regulations you need from the government, from your industry, or from your company to make sure you do the right thing.
Winners don't need to fear they will get caught doing something they're not supposed to be doing -- because they either are not doing it or they stand up, admit it, and accept the consequences of any underhanded actions they chose to take.
A standard or law can't "make" you accountable. You are or you aren't. A standard or a law can't "make" you honest. Be accountable. Be honest.
Even in controversy, lead by example. Lead by accountability.
"Finding the answer isn't as important as being willing to consider the question." Linda Galindo
Winners are accountable for their outcomes even when those results are the opposite of what they said they intended. That's because winners know that outcomes reveal true intentions.
You aren't accountable for your hopes and dreams or for your stated intentions; you are accountable for your results.
The outcome is the outcome. And like it or not, it's yours -- all yours. You knew it would be yours, and yet you got a result you swore you did not want.
Truly accountable people are always game to look at an unexpected result and wonder what they might have done differently to prevent it.
The accountability mindset will propel you to empower yourself to succeed by taking the actions risks that will ensure you achieve the results you desire.
It doesn't matter if they're right. It matters what they think.
A missed expectation, after all, is the source of all upset.
Be brave enough to walk away from an unsuitable client.
