Inspirational accountability quotes can empower your personal and professional journey by reminding you the importance of taking responsibility, fostering trust, and committing to your goals.
Whether it’s in our personal or professional lives, accountability is an essential part of achieving success. We all need a reminder to take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. Let these insightful accountability quotes fuel your desire for success and personal growth.
Best Accountability Quotes
It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one’s acts. Mahatma Gandhi
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. Siddhārtha Gautama
Leaders inspire accountability through their ability to accept responsibility before they place blame. Courtney Lynch
If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly. Steve Maraboli
Accountability breeds response ability. Stephen R. Covey
Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path. Brené Brown
When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else. David Brin
Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding. Bill Bullard
It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable. Moliere
The right thing to do and the hard thing to do are usually the same. Steve Maraboli
The notion of accountability has emerged as a human tool to motivate people do what you’re supposed to do or you’ll be held to account. Art Horn
When we fail to set boundaries and hold people accountable, we feel used and mistreated. This is why we sometimes attack who they are, which is far more hurtful than addressing a behavior or a choice. Brené Brown
Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, it also generates a respectful, enjoyable and life giving setting in which to work. Tom Hanson
It is wrong and immoral to seek to escape the consequences of one’s acts. Mahatma Gandhi
The benefits and possibilities that are created by being personally accountable are countless. Jay Fiset
A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody. Thomas Paine
Take accountability. Blame is the water in which many dreams and relationships drown. Steve Maraboli
Never compromise your values. Steve Maraboli
Ninety nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses. George Washington Carver
We have to endure the discordance between imagination and fact. It is better to say, I am suffering, than to say, This landscape is ugly. Simone Weil
Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off. General Colin Powell
Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. Les Brown
Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have. Pat Summitt
If you have not confronted true horrors, understood evil, suffered hopelessness and despair, found faith, and made yourself completely accountable for your own choices, actions and outcomes, then I can guarantee that any acceptance you pretend to have will be as brittle and temporary as a snowball in the middle of summer. Graeme Rodaughan
Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal. Individuals connected to no one can change the goal without accountability. John C. Maxwell
As for the journey of life; at some point you will realize that you are the driver and you will drive! Steve Maraboli
Accountability, is the state or condition of being accountable or responsible. That is right. We are responsible for what goes on in our heads. John Vaulkner
If you think someone or something other than yourself is responsible for your happiness or success, I’d guess you’re not that happy or successful. Rob Liano
To function effectively, a business requires leaders who are accountable for driving success. Barry Linetsky
The pressure of adversity is the most powerful sustainer of accountability. It’s as though everything you do is multiplied by 50 in order to surpass those with a head start. I was never capable of slacking when at the threshold of failure. Criss Jami
Wisdom stems from personal accountability. We all make mistakes; own them learn from them. Don’t throw away the lesson by blaming others. Steve Maraboli
Each day you are leading by example. Whether you realize it or not or whether it’s positive or negative, you are influencing those around you. Rob Liano
On good teams coaches hold players accountable, on great teams’ players hold players accountable. Joe Dumars
A president cannot defend a nation if he is not held accountable to its laws. DaShanne Stokes
Accountability separates the wishers in life from the action takers that care enough about their future to account for their daily actions. John Di Lemme
If every time we choose a turd, society, at a great expense, simply allows us to redeem it for a pepperoni, then not only will we never learn to make smart choices, we will also surrender the freedom to choose, because a choice without consequences is no choice at all. Tom Robbins
Break the riddle of accountability, the thinking goes, and you will have solved one of the thorniest issues in modern business. Mihnea Moldoveanu
Good men prefer to be accountable. Michael Edwardes
It’s just that we’re all accountable for our own happiness. And being happy does matter. It’s up to each of us to find out what shape or form that takes. Peter Jennings
The only people that can ruin a relationship or make that relationship work are the two people in it. Rob Liano
Simple organizational structure and clear accountability are necessary conditions for the exercise of effective leadership. John Adair
He had learned that close held secrets could often be cracked by going all the way to the top and there making himself unbearably unpleasant. He knew that such twisting of the tiger’s tail was dangerous, for he understood the psychopathology of great power. Robert A. Heinlein
Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility. In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility. Michael Korda
When I’m at the bottom looking up, the main question may not be how do I get out of this hole? In reality, the main question might be how do I get rid of the shovel that I used to dig it? Craig D. Lounsbrough
We are all accountable for our actions; their affect and influence on our lives and the lives of others. Sameh Elsayed
When people say If I only knew then what I know now makes me wonder why they aren’t using that wisdom now. Rob Liano
Understanding the true meaning of accountability makes us strong and enables us to learn. Sameh Elsayed
Bravery is the choice to show up and listen to another person, be it a loved one or perceived foe, even when it is uncomfortable, painful, or the last thing you want to do. Alaric Hutchinson
If you are building a culture where honest expectations are communicated and peer accountability is the norm, then the group will address poor performance and attitudes. Henry Cloud
Until our world decides that every human matters, that everyone has a right to food and safety and freedom and healthcare and equality, it is the obligation of those privileged to have food and safety and freedom and healthcare and equality to fight tirelessly for those who do not. L.R. Knost
Accountability means to say what you do, do what you say. Pearl Zhu
Corporations are like protean bacteria; you hit them with accountability and they mutate and change their names. Doug Anderson
You must be accountable constantly to those demands that are made on your time and it is only you that can allocate what time can be used for what purpose. Byron Pulsifer
If people in the position of power are not made to be accountable, then, ungodliness, injustice and oppression will continue to be the order of the day in the society. Sunday Adelaja
Good men are bound by conscience and liberated by accountability. Wes Fessler
You will not experience dramatic change in your struggle as long as you use accountability to describe your sins instead of declaring your need for help in the midst of temptation. Heath Lambert
Where there is no accountability, there will also be no responsibility. Sunday Adelaja
The evil of technology was not technology itself, Lindbergh came to see after the war, not in airplanes or the myriad contrivances of modern technical igenuity, but in the extent to which they can distance us from our better moral nature, or sense of personal accountability. David McCullough
Some want, to be exempt. They do not want to excel; they do not want to exert. They want to be considered excellent, for desiring to be held exempt, from all accountability. Justin K. McFarlane Beau
What do I want now? I want to be treated with the respect I deserve in the current VA system and not be retraumatized. I want the men who did this to me to be punished and if that isn’t possible, I want reassurance what happened to me will never ever happen to another woman in the Armed services. I want some restitution of the damage I have. Diane Chamberlain
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. Benjamin Franklin
Intentions do not insulate us from the consequences of our actions. Jon D Harrison
Ignorance is a progressive thinker’s enemy; acceptance, awareness, accountability and action are the tools of the informed; of people who want change and do all they can to achieve it. Carlos Wallace
The only way we succeed as a group is not simply following directions, but in keeping each other accountable for our actions. A.J. Darkholme
Perhaps he needs the money. Some of the men live too richly for their purses, if you understand me. Fame would allow him large debts, but everything has to be paid back in the end. Conn Iggulden
Make yourself accountable and your employees will hold themselves to a high standard. David J. Greer
Open collaboration encourages greater accountability, which in turn fosters trust. Ron Garan
With such a worshipping wife, it was hardly possible that any natural defects in it should not be increased. The extreme sweetness of her temper must hurt his. Jane Austen
Accountability is the issue! If you can’t find a way to get people to be accountable, you’re going to find it hard to make anything else work, let alone your business. Robert Lebow
Just like blame is a sign of shame based organizations, cover up cultures depend on shame to keep folks quiet. When the culture of an organization mandates that it is more important to protect the reputation of a system and those in power than it is to protect the basic human dignity of individuals or communities, you can be certain that shame is systemic, money drives ethics, and accountability is dead. Brené Brown
I believe that accountability is the basis of all meaningful human achievement. Sam Silverstein
As Christians, we will be held accountable for the things that we choose to put above God. Nick Chellsen
To take responsibility for yourself as a leader and person; you need to learn to unlearn bad habits, and learn from your mistakes. Andrea Reibmayr
Civilization is not an heirloom that is left to you, civilization is the keepsake that is left by you. Abhijit Naskar
If you can’t stand the heat, you’d better get out of the kitchen. Harry S. Truman.
To blame me in the past is a very future me thing to do. But what am I supposed to do, scapegoat someone else for my mistakes? Somebody needs to be held accountable, and it certainly won’t be the version of me in that moment. Jarod Kintz
For most people, blaming others is a subconscious mechanism for avoiding accountability. In reality, the only thing in your way is you. Steve Maraboli
All my failures as a human being I blame on my father. Life is about accepting responsibility, and it’s time my father started being held accountable for my deficiencies. Jarod Kintz
On one side of accountability is courage, on the other is freedom. Jean Hamilton
Everybody’s responsibility quickly becomes nobody’s responsibility. Frank Sonnenberg
To be accountable means that we are willing to be responsible to another person for our behavior and it implies a level of submission to another’s opinions and viewpoints. Wayde Goodall
When you make a mistake own it and repair the damage as best you can, otherwise it will own and damage you. Cassie Alegria
What if we had to give an account each night before we went to sleep of the one thing that we did to make life brighter for someone else? Catherine Pulsifer
To blame me in the past is a very future me thing to do. But what am I supposed to do, blame someone else for my mistakes? Somebody needs to be held accountable, and it certainly won’t be the version of me in that moment. Jarod Kintz
Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found together. Napoleon Hill
Conscience is my constitution, courage is my law. Compassion is my religion, thus speaks the living Ra. Abhijit Naskar
When accountability is present, people keep their eyes on a very clear prize. They know what they are working toward and how they are going to get there. Henry J. Evans
A person who lacks accountability will still deny the karma they’re receiving, even when everything around them is burning to the ground. Robin S. Baker
We are all responsible and accountable for what we do or say even if those behaviors occur in stressful times. Byron Pulsifer
A human being is held accountable according to the amount of freedom he has. Wendell Steavenson
The benefit of truly accountable leaders is that they are able to create effective structures where their staff know what is expected of them, and can improve the business for customers. Jane Storm
Everybody may not be guilty but everybody is responsible. We together are collectively accountable for the issues that threaten to ensare us all. Daniel Taotua
Neither age nor experience matters when it comes to being personally accountable for any and all outcomes no excuses whatsoever be they positive or negative, nor shifting blame to other people or to external factors. Kory Livingstone
Compassion and accountability are not opposites; they should not compete with each other. Nate Regier
Accountability is a statement of personal promise, both to yourself and to the people around you, to deliver specific defined results. Brian Dive
For compassion to work between people, we have to be honest about our feelings, motives, and experiences. Most people aren’t. Nate Regier
To be concerned only about one’s own life, is to deny that anyone else is worthy. However, you cannot be held accountable for someone else’s life, or how they feel or react to a variety of different circumstances or situations. Byron Pulsifer
Compassion is more than empathy in action. It’s about being motivated in many different ways to make a positive difference in each others lives by using our in-born strengths as a starting point. Nate Regier
My experience is that accountability is an extremely powerful tool to align an organization toward its objectives. Susan Gomez
Employees don’t benefit from leaders who take away the suffering. They need leaders who come alongside them to understand the struggle and support dignity, capability, and purpose. Nate Regier
In a fast changing and increasingly complex world, accountability of leaders is acquiring a renewed focus. R Gopalakrishnan
When we view compassion as less relevant than other leadership skills or too soft to be taken seriously, we avoid doing the most important and difficult work of leadership. Nate Regier
The individual is not accountable to society for his actions in so far as these concern the interests of no person but himself. John Stuart Mill
This mess, it’s on me. I’m the victim and the perpetrator of this story. I wish this wasn’t the case. This mess is forcing me to deal with parts of myself I didn’t even know existed. Lorraine Avila
Be accountable for doing the right things. This means ethical execution of the activities that will actually support the goals you have chosen for yourself. Sam Silverstein
My conscience demanded a fresh start, away from memories that left me hitting the skids. It was time for new direction, new steps, and intentional tribulations. It was time to feel the terrain against my soles, to see whether I was in love with the road or just running from accountability. Steven Keith Hunter
True love does not only encompass the things that make you feel good, it also holds you to a standard of accountability. Monica Johnson
To attempt to separate power from accountability is to understand neither and be hurt by both. Craig D. Lounsbrough
Democratic accountability means that governments must be popularly accepted, with citizens empowered to replace corrupt or incompetent rulers. Raghuram Rajan
Anybody can walk amidst a hundred protestors, but to walk alone daily on the path of humanity amidst inhumanity that takes backbone. Big revolution changes party, small everyday revolution changes paradigm. Abhijit Naskar
A friend can inspire enthusiasm as well as accountability, and that serves to challenge you. Deanna Cosso
Counterfeit freedom brings only apathy. True freedom brings responsibility. Abhijit Naskar
People are more inclined to pass the buck than they are to take responsibility. The fact is, though, passing the buck doesn’t build your character or give you the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. Marshall Goldsmith
A dream you dream together is not always a reality, but it is definitely the first necessary step towards making it one. Shellen Lubin
Accountability is a two way street. As a leader, you want to know that you can count on people to do what they said they would do. Likewise, your colleagues want to know that they can count on you as the leader to do what you have promised them. Greg Bustin
This story of ordinary men is not the story of all men. The reserve policemen faced choices, and most of them committed terrible deeds. But those who killed cannot be absolved by the notion that anyone in the same situation would have done as they did. For even among them, some refused to kill and others stopped killing. Human responsibility is ultimately an individual matter. Christopher R. Browning
Consumer accountability drives quality and efficiency. Pete Hoekstra
In the course of my life I have developed five little democratic questions. If one meets a powerful person Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates ask them five questions What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you? If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system. Tony Benn
Building a culture in which people take accountability to deliver on its promises is hard work and can be difficult to accomplish. Only when every person is held accountable to themselves, their peers, and their shared possibility can the impossible become possible. Ginger Graham
Personal spiritual development generates the anointing, integrity contains it while accountability sustains it. Dr. Lucas D. Shallua
Transparency increases credibility and accountability. Park Won soon
If you claim something to be what it is not because you dislike what it is, you have forever forfeited what it could have been in a trade off for what it will never be. Craig D. Lounsbrough
The best kind of accountability on a team is peer to peer. Peer pressure is more efficient and effective than going to the leader, anonymously complaining, and having them stop what they are doing to intervene. Patrick LencioniIt was accountability that Nixon feared. Bob Woodward
Right conscience must always be your best friend of influence tied closer than even the yes men who can send ruin. Criss Jami
Accountability in friendship is the equivalent of love without strategy. Anita BrooknerThe job of media is the accountability of government. Jeff Zucker
Realization of responsibility is the birth of truth. Abhijit Naskar
There are two primary choices in life to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. Denis Waitley
Refusal to examine past sins has broken the American present. We are told to move on, but there is no moving on without accountability, and there is no accountability without the truth. Sarah Kendzior
A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for injury. John Stuart Mill
Unless you muster the mettle to go against the most menacing monstrosity in your society all on your own, this world of ours will never foster a sentience without all the sickening psychosis of sectarianism, selfishness and superstition. Abhijit Naskar
No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible. Stanislaw LeM
By the time I graduated, I knew that the confidence I’d managed to develop didn’t come from a perfect family or God given talent. It came from personal accountability, which brought me self respect, and self respect will always light a way forward. David Goggins
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws. Plato
We are not only accountable to God but to the people that we serve and also to our own selves. Dr. Lucas D. Shallua
It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities. Sir Josiah Stamp
Civic duty is the precursor to civil liberty. Abhijit Naskar
Life is not accountable to us. We are accountable to life. Denis Waitley
There is a tricky balance inside a culture, a community, a family inside each one of us with our relationship with ourselves a tricky balance between holding forgiveness and holding accountability. Shellen Lubin
Our tradition calls for a commitment to accountability. This is not an assumption this is a promise that I will be there for you; and I can count on you being there for me. Bob Ladouceur
Doing what is right may be painful to us, she said, but doing what is painful to others is rarely right. Claudia Gray
Every one of us is responsible for everyone else in every way. Everyone is really responsible for everyone and everything. Father Zossima
In business, there is no avoiding being accountable to other people. You can choose who you want to be most accountable to, but you cannot avoid or minimize accountability. Your income will certainly and eternally be linked to other people’s satisfaction with your value creation. Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr.
An honest man is not accountable for the vice and folly of his trade, and therefore ought not to refuse the exercise of it. Michel de Montaigne
If you cannot live out the words that you are speaking, you cannot afford to speak. Craig D. Lounsbrough
It’s not my fault. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault. If we keep telling ourselves that, then who should all the victims of the world go to for their apology? Kim Hye Jin
Candor and accountability in a democracy is very important. Hypocrisy has no place. Alan Dershowitz
True forgiveness of others involves not holding the sin against the person. However, it does not include not holding the person accountable for their actions. Anthony J. Does
When people feel accountable and included, it is more fun. Alan Mulally
In a world full of citizen vain, be a citizen vanguard! There can be no order, unless the citizens stand on guard. Abhijit Naskar
You can’t talk about leadership without talking about responsibility and accountability you can’t separate the two. A leader must delegate responsibility and provide the freedom to make decisions, and then be held accountable for the results. Buck Rodgers
There is no justification for what you’ve done, Ansel P, but God knows you’ve got the time to keep searching. Danya Kukafka
If we want unity, we must all be unifiers. If we want accountability, each of us must be accountable for all we do. Christine Gregoire
It is only in the acknowledgement of what doesn’t work that we can create sufficient space to craft something that does. And arrogance is certain to become mired in defeat because it refuses to accept the former so that it might achieve the latter. Craig D. Lounsbrough
Having authority implies accountability. If you reject the blame for failures under your watch, people reject your leadership. Rick Warren
Reform is just another name for responsibility. Abhijit Naskar
You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. Jim Rohn
How many times have we set the stage for our greatest defeats? And how many times did victory elude us because we chose to deny that fact? Craig D. Lounsbrough
There’s not a chance we’ll reach our full potential until we stop blaming each other and start practicing personal accountability. John Miller
