Connor Ferguson (Agribusiness)

Personal accountability starts with having a clear vision of who you are. The visual in the video on personal accountability showed the character looking into a mirror and I think this is the perfect way to make this value concrete. Personal accountability means being able to look into a mirror and consider whether the values I am living in my job at Wilbur-Ellis are reflected properly. It also means being able to look into the mirror and be sure that I am living up to the expectations and values that I expect my team to demonstrate each day. By taking a serious and thoughtful look into the mirror, I can be sure that I am living by the same standards that I expect others to.

Personal accountability also means being the first to admit when they are wrong and welcome that vulnerability in my team. As a team leader, I must be willing to take the first step – especially when most difficult, to admit when I was wrong or if something didn’t turn out as it had been expected to. Having a clear sense of who I am will help me to speak up when needed to and to take responsibility for the team when something doesn’t turn out like it should.

By working to have personal accountability in every area of my life, this becomes a lived practice. Whether it’s at home or work, by living my life as if I can see every action in a mirror even when no one is around, will help me to improve areas of weakness and grow in areas of strength. It will also hold me to doing the right thing each time – even if that means taking more time or energy to complete the task. Being personally accountable will lead to a higher performing team, a happier team, and a team that thrives at Wilbur-Ellis.