Accountability-Authority Audit

Purpose

Compare what a leader is accountable for with the actual decisions, resources, information and escalation boundaries available to produce the result. The audit should expose recurring mismatches that force routine upward approval.

Prerequisite

Clear outcome ownership. The audit works only when the role or function has a material result it is expected to own. If the outcome itself is vague, define the outcome before auditing authority.

How to use it

Choose one consequential leader, function or role. Do not audit the entire company at once. Use one outcome where responsibility is meaningful and decisions frequently travel upward. Answer based on recent behavior, not the org chart or job description.

Wrong-game warning

Accountability without authority produces recommendation behavior, not ownership. The opposite error also matters: do not widen consequential authority merely because the founder wants fewer decisions. Capability, standards, information and economic visibility must be strong enough to support the authority being transferred.