We hear a lot these days about “feeding the narrative.” Reddit describes the process this way: “The narrative in this context means the stereotypes or mainstream opinions about something and ‘to feed into’ means to bolster or provide more evidence for.”^[i]

Our social media platforms, along with the mainstream media, bombard us with ‘mainstream opinions’ all trying to ‘feed the beast.’ If this is true, what are the personal and organizational costs of spending time feeding opinions that are not based on empirical facts but rather questionable inferences that must be fed to sustain their existence?

I remember my mother telling me as a young child the cost of telling a lie. She warned me that if I didn’t tell the truth, I would have to ensure that my ‘story’ never changed because once there was an inconsistency, I would be found out as a liar. She said, if you always tell the truth, you don’t have to remember what you have said because it is based on truth. How freeing that was to me!

It has been said that our reputation is how others view us, and our character is who we really are.^[ii] When there is a difference between who people think we are and who we really are, it takes a lot of energy and focus to ensure our ‘reputations’ remain intact. When leaders become drawn into areas that are inconsistent with their character (who they really are and the virtues that define them), their focus can shift from leading those they are privileged to inspire to controlling and maintaining their ‘perceived reputation’ at all costs.

The cost of this deception is stagnation and growth within the organization. Followers are no longer inspired to be creative and come up with new ideas and innovation but instead are forced to ‘feed the narrative’ of their leader just to keep their jobs. Organizational trust wains, and the focus shifts from thriving to surviving. Freedom of thought is canceled, and ‘feeding the beast’ is the new measure of “team player.”

When creativity and innovation are stifled, people become focused on survival and are problem and failure adverse. They are more inclined to ‘fall in line’ with the opinions and narratives of those that control their lives at the cost of experiencing any joy in realizing their potential and gifts that have led to the creativity and innovation that has been the trademark of ‘the free and the brave.’

^[i] Corta, U. (2018), Reddit post, https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/87yu12/feed_into_the_narrative/

^[ii] Phillips, R. (2021). Finding Joy in Leadership: By Developing Trust You Can Count On. BDI

One of the buzzwords throughout the media and social media platforms is ‘accountability.’ It seems as though there is incredible frustration with our expectations of others to be ‘accountable’ for their actions or choices or comments………you name it!

Somewhere in our upbringing, we realized that we were responsible for our actions, choices, and words, and we may have to account for them. That accounting may have been to parents, teachers, coaches, or even a friend. The point is from early on, it was impressed that accounting was tied to responsibility, and in most cases, it was viewed from a negative perspective.

Today it is viewed from a perspective of frustration as it appears there are those that answer to no one, or in other words, are not held accountable. Perhaps it is a politician whose actions are not consistent with their promises or words. Or perhaps it is an executive that appears to be ‘above’ the policies and procedures they expect their employees to abide by.

Regardless of what causes this accountability frustration, the real question is “what is the impact” of a lack of accountability within an organization? Or perhaps more directly related to frustration, “what is the impact to the organization when its leaders are not accountable for their actions”?

The answer to both of these questions is directly related to the concept of trust. With trust in an organization, its members thrive. Without trust, they often barely survive. If all of this is true, then perhaps the accountability dilemma is more than just frustration. Perhaps it is directly related to organizational creativity and productivity, directly impacting the bottom line as well as the cultural health of the organization.

Suppose this frustration of ‘one-way’ accountability is the problem. in that case, the media and social media suggest, we must look for an approach to address this hypocrisy in leadership not only to address the frustrations within the organization but for the survival of it as well.

The concept of Mutual Accountability may be the answer where there is a ‘two-way’ approach in that the parties involved hold each other accountable, being “intimately aware of the effects of their actions on one another, holding each other accountable for progress and outcomes.”