My quick answer is a very big YES! They are accountable and they can control it.
The fable of the three bricklayers which is included in Chapter 2 of my book, GPS for your Organisation; how to energise your employees and build sustainable high performance helps explain my reasoning. It goes as follows:
William asked Bricklayer 1 what he was doing. Bricklayer 1 said, “What’s it to you?” to which William replied that he was carrying out a research study of bricklayers. Bricklayer 1 placed another brick on his wall and said, “Can’t you see what I am doing? I am putting one brick on top of another!” and continued with his work.
William, taking notes, then asked “And why are you doing that?” to which Bricklayer 1 replied, “It’s to feed my family. I get $2 per brick,” as he added mortar and placed another brick on the wall.
William said to Bricklayer 2, “Excuse me, sir, please tell me what you are doing?” The bricklayer stood up and stretched his back and said, “Why, my workmates and I are great wall- builders. We are building a wall.”
William said, “Yes, I can see you are building a very good wall. Why are you doing that?” The bricklayer, reaching down with his left hand to pick up another brick, said, “My workmates and I are great wall-builders and we enjoy building walls. We actually earn $2 per brick, which is pretty good pay around here.”
William walked to the third building site and saw a bricklayer who also looked just like the first two bricklayers. William said to Bricklayer 3, “Excuse me sir, what are you doing there?” Bricklayer 3 said, “Why, I am part of a team that builds the best cathedrals in the land. My workmates and I build the walls for those cathedrals. The walls are probably the most important part of the cathedral, as they hold up what is a quite complex structure.”
William was somewhat taken aback and said, “Well, congratulations, you are certainly well progressed with what will no doubt be a fabulous cathedral. So why are you doing that?”
Bricklayer 3 pushed out his chest and said, “I am proud to be working for one of the best, if not the single best builder of cathedrals in the country and I enjoy coming to work each day, being with my workmates and working with the other construction workers.” He went on to say, “I am treated and paid well. I earn $2 per brick.”
Whilst most agree that part of the difference between the outlook of Bricklayer 1 and Bricklayer 3 may be due to the personality and general outlook of the individual bricklayers, all agree that the major difference is almost certainly due to their organisation’s leadership, culture and messaging.
Leadership is all about going somewhere and having something worthwhile to serve. If leaders can’t articulate and gain buy-in to a clear and compelling aspiration, purpose, goals and values their leadership is irrelevant; it matters little.
The leader of the bricklayer 3s had articulated and gained buy-in to the inspiring long term direction and purpose of building the best cathedrals in the country.
