At its core, accountability is the responsibility to act. It is the commitment to do the right thing and stand by your decisions. Perhaps most importantly, it is a quality that must come from within; dishearteningly, even as legislators, shareholders, customers, and community activists are demanding greater accountability from corporate leaders, too many are waiting for some third party to take action. Whatever the endeavor, it is ultimately the individual who must hold himself to the highest standard first. Those who manage by accountability viscerally know that external rules cannot substitute for character. And they know that accountability is a quality that can be developed, honed through practice, and encouraged in others. Using stories drawn from David Dealy's experiences on the front lines, as well as examples from other successful leaders, Managing by Accountability demonstrates how leaders who embark on a management philosophy of personal accountability imbue their organizations with the qualities of integrity and responsibility. In their down-to-earth style, the authors identify the five great accountability mistakes and offer a wealth of practical suggestions for overcoming them to achieve outstanding results throughout the organization.

In some cases it may be Congress (e.g., Sarbanes-Oxley legislation), the media, the company's legal or communications department, Wall Street, disgruntled customers, or angry community activists. This is not to say that formal accountability programs are useless; they do play an important role. Nevertheless, it is ultimately the individual who must hold himself to the highest standard first-without waiting to be told, pushed, or prodded.

Those who manage by accountability viscerally know that external rules cannot substitute for character. And they also know that accountability can be developed, honed through practice, and encouraged in others. Managing by Accountability demonstrates how leaders who embark on a management philosophy of personal accountability imbue their organizations with the qualities of integrity and responsibility. Using stories drawn from David Dealy's experiences on the front lines, as well as examples from other successful leaders, the book provides concrete examples of accountability in action. In their down-to-earth style, Dealy and Thomas identify the five great accountability mistakes and offer a wealth of practical suggestions for overcoming them to achieve outstanding results throughout the organization.

M. David Dealy is Senior Vice President of Transportation for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. A nearly 30-year veteran of railroad management, he has served in top-level positions in operations and marketing throughout the industry, as well as serving on the boards of several companies and non-profits, including the National Alzheimer's Association. With Andrew Thomas, he is author of Defining the Really Great Boss (Praeger, 2004) and Change or Die (Praeger, 2005).

Andrew R. Thomas, PhD, is assistant professor of international business and associate director of The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at University of Akron. A New York Times bestselling writer, he is author, coauthor, or editor of 15 books including, Direct Marketing in Actionn: Cutting-Edge Strategies for Finding the Best Customers, Supply Chain Security: International Practices and Innovations for Moving Goods Safely, Change or Die!: How to Transform Your Organization from the Inside Out, Managing by Accountability: What Every Leader Needs to Know about Responsibility, Integrity-and Results, Global Manifest Destiny: Growing Your Business in a Borderless Economy, and Aviation Insecurity: The New Challenges of Air Travel.