HR expert, fractional CPO, Human Experience Coach, and Mentorloop Industry Advisory Council member, Alana Bennett, shares why she believes true leadership is less about asserting control and more about creating a culture where autonomy and accountability coexist. She also shares how a supportive, trust-based, and intentional approach is the key to achieving this.
It usually starts with something small.
A project deadline gets missed.
An update is vague.
A goal is set… but no one really owns it.
You’re sitting in a team meeting thinking, “Wait, who was responsible for this? Why didn’t it get done? And more importantly, why didn’t anyone speak up?”
This is the messy middle where trust starts to wobble. Where autonomy turns into avoidance, and accountability gets mistaken for blame.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
When autonomy and accountability are in balance, they drive clarity, creativity and ownership. People feel trusted to do their best work and know they’re responsible for outcomes. When they’re out of sync? Cue frustration, micromanagement or worse—silence.
Let’s talk about what it takes to build that balance. Because culture doesn’t create itself. We do that, moment by moment.
What We Get Wrong About Autonomy and Accountability
Let’s start by setting the record straight.
Autonomy isn’t about letting people figure everything out on their own—it’s about creating space for people to do their best work in a way that works for them. It’s rooted in trust and psychological safety.
Accountability isn’t about catching people out—it’s about owning outcomes, even when things don’t go to plan. It’s about stepping up and saying, “Here’s what I’m responsible for and here’s how I’m approaching it.”
Where it often falls apart is when leaders fear handing over control. Because let’s face it—if your team doesn’t deliver, that can reflect on you. And when ego, fear or performance pressure creep in, many leaders start tightening the reins.
But here’s the truth: you can’t build a high-performing team if you’re still clinging to the wheel.
In fact, Gallup found that employees with higher levels of autonomy are 43% less likely to experience burnout—and significantly more likely to be engaged and productive. Autonomy isn’t just good for morale. It’s good for results.
So where do you start?
Start With You: Be the Culture You Want to Create
Here’s the thing: you can’t expect your team to be accountable if you’re not modelling it yourself. It starts with you.
And this isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistency. It’s about showing up in a way that says, “I own my work and I follow through.” That sets the standard more than any value statement ever will.
Quick check-in for yourself:
- Do I clearly communicate what I’m working on and when it’s done?
- Do I show up to meetings prepared, focused and on time?
- Do I bring possible solutions, not just problems?
- Do I follow through on what I say I’ll do?
Small things? Maybe. But they create big signals. When your team sees you showing up like this day after day, it teaches them what accountability actually looks like in action.
Now that we’ve got you sorted—what about your team?
Because Autonomy Without Clarity? That’s Just Chaos.
Here’s where things often go sideways: we give people space, but not structure. Freedom, but no direction. And then we’re surprised when things get messy.
Autonomy can’t exist without clarity. If your team doesn’t know what’s expected of them, what success looks like or how they’ll be held accountable, you’re not empowering them—you’re setting them up to fail.
So before you step back, make sure you’ve set the stage. Every team member should be able to answer:
- What am I responsible for?
- How will success be measured?
- When and how do I check in or report progress?
One of the simplest ways to create that rhythm is a performance check-in. It can form part of your regular 1:1 and it doesn’t have to be complicated:
- Share the headline numbers
- What’s working?
- What’s been tricky?
- What’s the plan or experiment for next time?
It builds consistency. It reinforces ownership. And it makes performance a shared conversation—not a surprise.
Now Comes the Hard Bit: Holding People Accountable Without Hovering
This is the part many leaders avoid. Because holding someone to account often feels… awkward. Or heavy. Or personal.
So we default to fixing it ourselves. Or worse—saying nothing, hoping it works itself out.
But real accountability doesn’t live in avoidance. And it definitely doesn’t live in micromanagement. It lives in coaching conversations that keep ownership with the person doing the work.
Let’s say someone was supposed to run three onboarding sessions this month and only ran one. Their reasons?
- Calendars didn’t align
- Other priorities popped up
- Timing just didn’t work
You could say, “That’s understandable—maybe next month.” But that response validates the excuse.
Instead, try:
- “What else did you try to make it happen?”
- “What got in the way and what would you do differently next time?”
- “What’s one thing we can shift to avoid this next time around?”
These questions don’t punish. They activate. They remind your team that they’re not being judged—they’re being supported to grow.
And that’s the real work.
Structure Creates Freedom (Seriously)
Let’s talk systems for a sec. Because accountability and autonomy don’t just show up because you said the words. They show up when there are clear frameworks supporting them.
One of the most effective? The What, Why, When framework.
- What – What do you need them to do?
- Why – Why does it matter? What’s the impact?
- When – When does it need to be done—and is that timing doable?
Example:
- What: Can you review the onboarding feedback and pull out three key insights we can use to improve the first-week experience?
- Why: We’ve had a few new starters feel a bit lost in week one, and I want to make sure we’re designing this intentionally.
- When: Could you have that to me by Thursday? Let me know if that fits with everything else on your plate.
This kind of request builds clarity, purpose and accountability. No micromanaging needed.
But here’s the thing—clarity alone isn’t enough.
Just because expectations are clear doesn’t mean people automatically feel confident, capable or supported to deliver. This is where a lot of leaders unknowingly stop short. You’ve created the structure—but have you created the support?
Autonomy and accountability don’t just need frameworks.
They need something softer. More human.
They need your presence—not your pressure.
Support Without the Smother: Leading Without Hovering
It’s easy to think support means swooping in, checking up or fixing. But that’s not support—it’s control dressed up in concern.
So how do you stay close enough to support, but far enough to empower?
Here are a few ways to lead with support that guides, not grips:
- Light-touch check-ins – Build regular moments for your team to reflect and share where they’re at, before things go off the rails. These don’t need to be long—just consistent.
- Coach, don’t correct – Ask questions that invite reflection:
“What’s the real blocker here?”, “What’s one step you could take this week?” - Encourage peer connection – Support doesn’t have to come from you alone. Give your team permission (and time) to support each other.
And then there’s one of the most impactful (but often underused) tools: mentoring.
Mentoring offers support that feels safe, consistent and generative. It encourages ownership without pressure and it strengthens relationships built on trust—not transactions.
Why it works:
- It creates space to reflect without judgement
- It builds natural accountability (you want to show up)
- It models how leaders lead—with empathy, not ego
When done well, mentoring helps your team feel supported, seen and stretched—and that’s the kind of support that scales.
So… Is It Working? Here’s How You Know
Support, structure and coaching systems are great—but how do you know when the culture is actually landing? This isn’t just about gut feel—you’ll see the signals when your balance is landing well.
Signs it’s working:
- People follow through without reminders
- They share updates before you ask
- They own challenges and propose ideas
- They take initiative and ask for feedback
Signs it’s off:
- Blame starts to creep in
- Silence replaces ownership
- People wait to be told what to do
- Deadlines slip and excuses start to stack
None of this means you’re failing—it just means it’s time to recalibrate. Are the expectations clear? Is the support consistent? Are people feeling safe enough to step up?
These are the questions that build high-performance cultures—not just faster processes.
Final Thought: This Is Culture Work
Here’s the truth: accountability isn’t a performance tool. And autonomy isn’t a perk.
They’re culture.
And culture is shaped by how we lead, how we speak, how we show up—and how often we’re willing to lean into the tension between freedom and responsibility.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional.
Start with yourself.
Get clear on the expectations.
Create systems that support—not suffocate.
And keep showing your team what it looks like to own their impact.
That’s how you build a team that doesn’t just get results—they own them.
Learn more about how Alana Bennett helps organizations build connected cultures by bringing simplicity to the complexity of people functions and helping them to invest and develop the right initiatives and capabilities at the right time in their growth.
