Great New Managers Are Accountable: Top 5 Attributes

Great New Managers Are Accountable

Some new managers focus so much on making sure their team does everything perfectly that they forget to examine their own actions. When mistakes happen, they point fingers at the team. The truth is — great new managers don’t play the blame game. They take responsibility, learn from missteps, and model the accountability they expect from others. In short: great new managers are accountable.

Management Accountability Matters
How can you tell if a new manager is truly accountable? Great managers manage themselves before managing others.

Most management training for new managers emphasizes accountability — taking responsibility for your actions and owning the tasks you are assigned. But accountability isn’t just a concept; it’s a performance driver. When leaders fail to hold themselves accountable, everything suffers — missed deadlines, delayed projects, eroded trust, and declining team morale.

Are You a Good Role Model?
Great new managers are accountable — and that means leading by example. You must not only set the right standards but also expect your team to follow through on their commitments. Everyone is responsible — for their actions, decisions, feelings, opinions, and the results that follow. Responsibility sits at the very top of required manager competencies.

Managers set the tone. If you struggle to model accountability, your team will too. Leaders who fail to demonstrate responsibility risk undermining both performance and trust — and no team can thrive under that kind of example.

Five Steps to Improve Personal and Team Accountability
Based upon leadership simulation assessment and people manager assessment data, great new managers are accountable by taking these steps to improve individual and team accountability.

1. Admit the Problem
   Leadership starts with personal integrity. Reflect on the past six months — when did you fail to keep a promise or fall short on a commitment? Now, make a pledge: honor every commitment without exception for the next three months, and hold yourself accountable by sharing your progress along the way.
2. Under-Promise So You Can Over-deliver
   Be deliberate with the goals you set and the commitments you make. Ensure you have the time, resources, and capacity to deliver — not just meet expectations, but exceed them.
3. Track Promises and Results
   Create a transparent system to track every commitment you make. Monitor progress consistently, celebrate completions, and hold yourself accountable — turning promises into measurable results.
4. Share Your Progress and Goals with Your Team
   Demonstrate to your team that you are fully committed to accountability — and that your efforts are making a real difference. Many new managers fear showing vulnerability, but openly acknowledging your growth makes you more approachable, relatable, and ultimately more respected as a leader.
5. Require the Same of Your Team
   Set clear expectations for both individual and team performance and behavior. Make accountability non-negotiable — a core requirement for team success. Ensure everyone understands that falling short carries proportional consequences, reinforcing a culture where follow-through is expected and respected.

The Bottom Line
The most effective managers know they can’t demand from their team what they aren’t willing to do themselves. If you want a culture of accountability, model it consistently and hold both yourself and your team to the same high standard.

To learn more about being an effective new manager, download The 6 Management Best Practices that Make the Difference Between Effective and Extraordinary

by Tristam Brown: CEO

Tristam Brown is an executive business consultant and organizational development expert with more than three decades of experience helping organizations accelerate performance, build high-impact teams, and turn strategy into execution. As CEO of LSA Global, he works with leaders to get and stay aligned™ through research-backed strategy, culture, and talent solutions that produce measurable, business-critical results. See full bio.