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Accountability: Is It in Retreat?

Contributing Factors

Episode 3 in a Five-Part Series

My previous two episodes have surveyed three factors which have contributed to a sense that accountability is in decline. In this episode, I lay out three more factors.

The last episode looked at how the side-effects of family breakdown, the growth of a victim mentality, and massive urbanization have weakened the sense of personal accountability.

In this episode I add these factors to the list:

• Political polarization
• A lost ethical consensus derived from Judaeo-Christian ideals
• Radically shortened business lifespans

Political polarization has pitted us against one another more divisively than at any other time in our history, except for the Civil War era. Polarization encourages disdain for the opposing party, and with that disdain, a lower sense of responsibility and accountability for how we speak of or treat those on the other side.

Simultaneously, a long-standing consensus on treating people according to Judaeo-Christian ideals has grown notably less normative, shouldered aside by a broad embrace of ethical relativism.

The third factor which I address — shortened business lifespans — has accelerated so rapidly that less than half of even established businesses survive for 20 years at present. Employees don't see benefit from building long-term loyalty to a business that may be gone with little warning. And reduced loyalty lessens the inclination to hold oneself to demanding standards of accountability.

With this episode, I wrap up my analysis of what has gone wrong with accountability. In the next one I turn to what we as leaders should pursue by way of response.

Other Podcasts in this Series

What Happened to Accountability?

Why Accountability Is Dwindling

How to Lead by Modeling Accountability

A Strategy for Rebuilding Accountability