I’m working on a three-part series called “The Character of a Man.” I began listing words that had to do with character to see if I could make the series into an acrostic spelling C H A R A C T E R. (I know that’s a big surprise to those who know me well!)
I was trying to decide between“responsibility” and “accountability.” As I was talking to my wife, Norma Jean, about the project, she said, “You know, there’s a difference between accountability and responsibility?”
“Yeah,” I said. “But one has to do with the other, and I can work in responsibility under accountability.” But that got me thinking. What exactly is the difference?
So, I accessed some online sources. Merriam-Webster.com defined accountable as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility.” Then, I looked up responsibility and found, “the quality or state of being responsible as a moral, legal, or mental accountability.”
Christopher Avery, author, speaker, and leadership advisor, wrote in his blog, “I prefer to use the word accountability to refer to making, keeping, and managing agreements and expectations. And I prefer to use the word responsibility for the feeling of ownership.”
I like that. It seemed like a good distinction. Then I read this by Roger Conners and Tom Smith, who are the principals and founders of PartnersInLeadership, Inc., and authors of “The Oz Principle.
While the words responsibility and accountability are often used interchangeably, we believe there is a significant, fundamental difference between the two. Responsibility may be bestowed, but accountability must be taken. In other words, responsibility can be given or received, even assumed, but that doesn’t automatically guarantee that personal accountability will be taken. This means it’s possible to bear responsibility for something or someone while still lacking accountability.
While Avery uses the word “responsibility” as it relates to ownership of something, Conners and Smith write, “When people take accountability for results, not just doing their jobs, they take ownership for making sure the ball does not get dropped.”
Hmm, are you confused yet? Well, here’s my take.
I am given many responsibilities in life. As Husband. Father. Citizen. Christian. And Preacher. However, I must choose to be held accountable to fulfill my responsibilities. To do the duties assigned to me. To meet my obligations.
We live in an age of excuse-making. Justification for failure to perform. And rationalizing our ineffectiveness. As I write this in my office a few blocks from the site of the Harry Truman ancestral farm, I’m reminded of the plaque he had on his desk in the Oval Office–“The buck stops here.” Instead of “passing the buck,” a person of integrity accepts their responsibilities and is willing to be held accountable.
As a husband, I am responsible for loving my wife and providing leadership in the home. I am accountable for that. If I fail, it’s my fault. To blame her is to abdicate my responsibility and dodge accountability.
As a father, I was responsible for nurturing, training, and teaching our children. I was accountable to them. To my wife. And to God.
As a citizen, I am responsible for obeying the laws, paying my taxes, and praying for our leaders. If I break the law, I’m held accountable. If I fail to pay taxes, I can’t blame someone else.
As a Preacher, I am commanded to “preach the Word.” I’m responsible for what I say. What I write. What I do. For fulfilling my ministry. I am accountable to the brethren. And to God.
We all have responsibilities in life. And we are accountable to someone to fulfill them. But there is this indisputable fact. We all have God-given responsibilities. And the Bible promises this: “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ…So then each of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom 14:10-12).
The bottom line? Be responsible. Be accountable.
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
ThePreachersWord 
Good distinctions. The Lord will hold us accountable, so we’d better be prepared to account for our actions. Portuguese has no word for accountability that I can recall. I’ve seen words like “commitment” used, as well as the phrase, “prestação de contas” (the rendering of an account), which does the job nicely. (Just thinking out loud here.) Hebrews 4.13 comes to mind.
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Accountability has a stronger moral connotation; it’s like answering for your actions to someone( to people), or being accountable to God as above comment suggests, where responsibility is more private. I am responsible for my family, I am responsible for my kids education, or good upbringing etc, responsible at work for this or that. Accountability is much bigger (there might be a lot of responsibilities involved inside).
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