Is Accountability An Inside Job?

“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

In this piece, I’m going to talk about accountability. As a coach, it’s a topic that comes up often when I am talking to potential and existing clients, which has recently prompted me to really think about the role of accountability in the work I do and in the success of my clients. I’d like to share my thoughts on the topic with you, in the hope that they are helpful.

Years ago, when talking to potential clients, if they seemed too focused on needing a coach for accountability purposes (i.e. someone to keep them on track with their goals), I saw this as a red flag. Why? Because it always concerned me when people were too fixated on something external for their success. It was my firm belief that accountability was an inside job. I’ve softened on this over the years, because I’ve seen in my own business journey, how powerful some external forms of accountability can be.

In my recent musings on the subject, however, I’ve come to the realisation that internal accountability — our ability to keep our promises to ourselves — is crucial, if we are to have any chance of using other forms of accountability successfully. For example, it’s…