11 Apr Leadership Roles

Introduction

As well as thinking about their leadership styles, all managers should be constantly aware of their roles and responsibilities. You can think of your characteristics as leader as an input and your roles and responsibilities as a catalyst with outward affects. Your characteristics are a foundation for your role in an organisation, but you must then take action to become an effective manager.

Leadership is special compared to any other role because of its unique responsibility for people. See your role as to serve people with the responsibility of encouraging them to grow, remain focused on goals and passionate about what they do.

Responsibility vs Accountability

There are noticeable differences between responsibility and accountability and they should be acknowledged for effective leadership.

Responsibility usually refers to performance of a duty or action in making something happen, or preventing something from happening. Often responsibility requires training and support. Responsibility commonly transfers from person to person, for example when a manager takes over a nightshift.

Accountability equates to ultimate responsibility. True leadership involves accepting accountability, regardless of who is given the responsibility. Where responsibilities are delegated a good leader retains ultimate responsibility, or accountability, for the delegated tasks concerned. Poor leadership, tends to try to delegate accountability in addition to responsibility. A good leader accepts ultimate responsibility, or accountability, for everything within their range of their role.

Accountability is always full and absolute, whereas responsibility may be delegated according to varying degrees of authority.