I've worked with some extraordinary leaders throughout my career. I've also worked with people who had tremendous potential but struggled to turn that potential into results. One of the biggest differences between the two groups? Accountability.

It's a word we hear frequently in business, politics, education, and our personal lives. We want people accountable for their promises, performance, and decisions. But I've come to believe most people misunderstand where accountability begins.

Accountability doesn't start with holding others responsible. It starts with creating alignment. And alignment starts with ourselves.

Whenever I led significant organizational change, I learned that the hardest work happened long before anyone was asked to deliver results.

First, I needed to do my homework. Did I truly understand the issues? Had I separated symptoms from root causes? Had I sought perspectives from the most experienced people, especially those who might disagree with me?

Next came alignment with the team. Did everyone understand what we were trying to accomplish and why? Had people been given meaningful opportunities to shape the plan? Were expectations and timelines clear?

Finally, had we secured the resources, cooperation, and commitment needed from the rest of the organization?

And throughout the process, I needed to look in the mirror. Were my words and actions consistent? Was I holding myself to the same standards I expected from others?

Alignment with ourselves. Alignment with our team. Alignment with the organization.

I developed several simple habits to reinforce this philosophy.

Every month, I held individual conversations with my direct reports. We discussed project progress, people issues, emerging challenges, and something I always encouraged: bad news early. I wanted to hear about problems while we could still address them, not after they became crises. Two questions were particularly important: "What support do you need from the company?" and "What support do you need from me?"

I maintained an open-door policy and walked our facilities each morning and afternoon. Sometimes I'd deliberately take different routes to meetings, connecting with employees I might otherwise miss. Those informal conversations often taught me more than formal presentations.

I also carried a simple piece of paper listing two things: what others owed me and by when, and what I owed others and by when.

Nothing sophisticated. Just commitments, names, and dates. A daily reminder that my obligations mattered as much as everyone else's.

Of course, even the best plans encounter unexpected circumstances. Markets change. People struggle. Assumptions prove wrong. Results fall short. That's when accountability gets tested.

Do we acknowledge reality and adjust? Can we distinguish between someone needing additional support and someone unwilling to honor a commitment? Do we have the courage to engage in difficult conversations?

And importantly, can we distinguish between being accountable for a goal and stubbornly attached to a plan? The objective may remain unchanged even when the path must change.

I've observed people who embrace accountability and others who avoid it. Avoidance may provide temporary comfort, but often sacrifices trust, credibility, personal growth, and long term results.

Accountability isn't about catching people doing something wrong. It's about helping people succeed at something important.

When executives struggle with execution, I often discover that people have fundamentally different understandings of the goal. They weren't aligned in the first place.

From alignment to accountability. That's where trust is built, organizations change, and careers are made….or lost.

As leaders, we must hold people accountable. But first, we must create the conditions that make accountability possible.  And that starts with getting everyone aligned and focused on the same goals.

The River is a weekly column about professional development, leadership, and building a fulfilling life. Written by Tony Thelen, founder of The River Coaching & Consulting, LLC, and author of Am I Doing This Right? and Things We Desire. Learn more at www.therivercoach.org.