50 Accountability Quotes for a More Successful Workplace

Accountability helps ensure everyone in the team works towards common goals and takes responsibility for their actions. In this article, we have compiled 50 accountability quotes to inspire you as a leader and your team members to build a more successful workplace by creating a culture of accountability.

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50 accountability quotes for more successful teams

Here are quotes to help you to stay personally accountable and carry accountability forward.

1. "Accountability breeds response-ability." – Stephen Covey
2. "Take accountability... Blame is the water in which many dreams and relationships drown." – Steve Maraboli
3. "Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action-takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions." – John Lemme
4. "Accountability is a statement of personal promise, both to yourself and to the people around you, to deliver specific defined results." – Brian Dive
5. "Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable." – Umar ibn al–Khattab
6. "Leaders must develop a lower threshold for alibis and become better communicators and enforcers of what they want done. Holding people accountable to high standards and results is nothing to apologize for. Failing to stretch them to their potential is." – Dave Anderson
7. "On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams players hold players accountable." – Joe Dumars
8. "Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result." – Bob Proctor
9. "Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility... in the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility." – Michael Korda
10. "Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses." – Mitt Romney
11. “Having authority implies accountability. If you reject the blame for failures under your watch, people reject your leadership.” – Rick Warren
12. "Accountability is a measure of a leader’s height.” – Jeffrey Benjamin
13. "Accountability, the ability of people to understand what is expected of them, exercise authority, and take responsibility for delivering results, is an important dimension of organizational health." – Michael Bazigos
14. "Exhibiting accountability over time is a gateway to trust. When we see someone acting with accountability, we gain the evidence we need to trust them." – Mike Erwin and Willys Devoll
15. "To be accountable is to care for the well-being of the whole and act as if this well-being is in our hands and hearts to create." – Peter Block
16. "It entails accepting responsibility for both achievements and failures, as well as being prepared to live with the results of your choices." – Shaun Smit
17. "Accountability is the highest form of leadership." – John Miller
18. “When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” – Dr. Robert Anthony
19. “Accountability is the ultimate measure of a person’s character.” – Unknown
20. “Accountability is the difference between a good leader and a great leader.” – D.A. Abrams
21. “The first step toward success is taking responsibility for your actions.” – Mark Cuban
22. “The first and foremost responsibility of a leader is to create an environment in which everyone can take accountability for their actions.” – Jocko Willink
23. “A leader who takes accountability for their mistakes earns the respect of their team.” – Peter Drucker
24. “True leaders accept responsibility for the outcomes of their decisions and actions.” – John Wooden
25. “A leader who doesn’t take accountability for their actions is like a ship without a captain.” – John C. Maxwell

26. “Without accountability, there can be no trust, and without trust, there can be no meaningful collaboration.” – Patrick Lencioni
27. “Open collaboration encourages greater accountability, which in turn fosters trust.” – Ron Garan
28. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” – Winston Churchill
29. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to leadership, but there is one thing that every leader needs – accountability.” – John C. Maxwell
30. “Accountability feels like an attack when you're not ready to acknowledge how your behaviors harm others." – Tamara Renaye
31. "Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame." – Courtney Lynch
32. "When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else." – David Brin
33. "It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." – Moliere
34. "Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility." – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
35. "Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses." – George Washington Carver
36. "Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have." – Pat Summitt
37. "Wisdom stems from personal accountability. We all make mistakes; own them... learn from them. Don't throw away the lesson by blaming others." – Steve Maraboli
38. "On one side of accountability is courage, on the other is freedom." – Jean Hamilton Ford
39. "For most people, blaming others is a subconscious mechanism for avoiding accountability. In reality, the only thing in your way is YOU." – Steve Maraboli
40. "You steadily grow into becoming your best as you choose to be accountable and accept responsibility for improvement." – Steve Shallenberger
41.  "Accountability and self-responsibility are critical to our success in personal, professional, and public life. However, we often look for those character traits in others, rather than inculcating them in ourselves." – Vishwas Chavan
42. "The only way we succeed as a group is not simply following directions, but in keeping each other accountable for our actions." – A.J. Darkholme
43. "If you are building a culture where honest expectations are communicated and peer accountability is the norm, then the group will address poor performance and attitudes." – Henry Cloud
44. “You're going to mess up. So instead of trying to be perfect, learn how to be accountable." – Whitney Goodman
45. “Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, it also generates a respectful, enjoyable and life-giving setting in which to work.” – Tom Hanson
46. “My experience is that accountability is an extremely powerful tool to align an organization toward its objectives.” –  Susan Gomez
47. “Accountability is a key concept in moving an organization forward, especially in a challenging business climate.” – Cindy Tucker
48. “Individuals and teams have a sense of ownership, and are focused, disciplined and collaborative, while holding each other accountable for outcomes.” – Di Worrall
49. “I believe that accountability is the basis of all meaningful human achievement.” – Sam Silverstein
50. “To function effectively, a business requires leaders who are accountable for driving success.” – Barry Linetsky

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Conclusion

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Truly accountable leaders understand the importance of taking responsibility in our personal lives, but especially in the workplace where many others can depend on us. Being a leader means taking responsibility and holding employees accountable without blame. We hope these accountability quotes help you practice personal accountability and inspire your team members to do the same.

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FAQs: Insightful Accountability Quotes

What is a famous quote about accountability?

"Take accountability... Blame is the water in which many dreams and relationships drown." – Steve Maraboli

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What is accountability in one sentence?

Accountability means taking responsibility for your actions and their results, being someone people can trust, and owning up to your flaws and mistakes.

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Why is accountability so important?

Accountability is necessary because it promotes a culture of ownership and responsibility. When you hold team members and leaders accountable for their actions, they are more likely to take them seriously and try to reduce the number of mistakes they make, leading to increased productivity and better working relationships.