How to create a culture of accountability

When Tribe Global Ventures invests, we work hard to support companies scaling locally and into the UK and/or US. This inevitably means growing teams accountable for achieving results. But accountability means different things to different people — and even when we agree on the definition, how do you actually create a culture that drives it?

Responsibility

Many methodologies use "responsible" and "accountable" interchangeably, which causes problems. Accountability starts with responsibility. Being clear on who owns what task, function, or result is necessary but insufficient.

You also need to ask: are they actually capable? If someone lacks the skills for a role, you can't truly hold them accountable.

Watch out for conflicting responsibilities. If you combine roles with competing time horizons — say, short-term effectiveness versus long-term efficiency — the immediate pressure always wins. The classic example is "Sales and Marketing Manager". Marketing gets sidelined because sales keeps the lights on. Be intentional when blending roles with competing orientations.

Authority

You've hired someone capable who fits your culture. But if you don't give them the authority to make necessary decisions, they're stuck asking permission on basic things, drowning in process, waiting for committees.

You can't hold people accountable for results they can't control.

In early-stage businesses, authority concentration at the top is normal and necessary. But as you grow, you must cascade authority in a controlled way. Delegation without the right systems and processes is abdication, and abdication leads to bankruptcy. The timing and sequence matter enormously.

Reward systems

You now have a capable person with clear responsibilities and decision-making power. Still not enough.

"Show me the incentive and I'll show you the outcome." If reward systems don't drive the right behaviours, people default to self-interest. These systems aren't always financial — most operate outside money. Without aligned incentives tied to measurement, you won't build an accountable culture.

An analogy

Imagine asking someone to run 100m in 10 seconds. First, you need someone capable of that pace. Then you untie their legs, remove their blindfold, and feed them. But at the finish line, you hit them with a cricket bat if they run the wrong way.

No one will run their best under threat.

Now imagine they'll receive a trophy and a bonus they actually value. They'll give everything they have. And transparent measurement systems prove they hit 10 seconds.

Accountability = responsibility + authority + rewards

"I knew what my responsibility was, I was empowered to carry it out, I knew what my rewards would be — so I pushed hard."

If any ingredient is missing, you can only hold yourself accountable. That doesn't scale.

Stop thinking about org structure alone. Think about the org power structure — where responsibility, authority, and rewards reinforce each other. The more complete the power structure, the further and faster you go.