Leadership is a constant balancing act. We want results, we need accountability, but we also know that people don’t operate in a vacuum. We recently introduced a framework for understanding behavioral influences to a group of plant supervisors, the reaction was immediate: “If we start looking at all these factors, aren’t we just making excuses for poor performance?”
We get it. No one wants to lower the bar. But here’s the thing—understanding why something is happening doesn’t mean we’re letting it slide. The best leaders don’t just hold people accountable; they recognize the obstacles getting in the way and help remove them.
The Problem with “Just Get It Done” Leadership
It’s easy to fall into the mindset of “either they do the job, or they don’t.” But leadership isn’t that simple. Dismissing context in the name of accountability might seem strong, but it’s actually limiting. If we don’t understand why performance is slipping, how can we fix it effectively?
That’s where the distinction between explaining and excusing matters. Explaining means uncovering the real barriers to success. Excusing means using those barriers as a reason to accept subpar results. When we fail to make this distinction, we either let standards drop or burn people out by pushing without addressing the real issues.
A More Effective Leadership Mindset
Strong leaders don’t excuse performance gaps, but they do work to understand and address the root causes. Here’s what that looks like:
- Seeing the Individual Behind the Performance
- Sometimes, people struggle because they don’t have the skills, confidence, or clarity they need. That’s not an excuse—it’s a leadership challenge to solve.
- Recognizing the Role of Team Dynamics
- A disengaged or underperforming team isn’t always about individual effort. Group norms, peer influence, and leadership presence all shape behavior. The best leaders don’t ignore this; they use it to their advantage.
- Fixing Broken Systems
- If mistakes keep happening or goals aren’t being met, it’s worth asking: Is this a people issue, or is the system setting them up to fail? Leaders refine processes, eliminate friction, and ensure the structure supports success.
Bringing This Into Leadership Conversations
Instead of defaulting to “work harder” or “be better,” the best leaders ask two key questions:
- What’s actually getting in the way? – Is it a skills gap, lack of clarity, peer dynamics, or a broken system?
- How do we move forward? – Once we know what’s wrong, we hold people accountable for improving—but with the right support in place.
Accountability without understanding leads to frustration. Understanding without accountability leads to complacency. Leadership is about mastering both.
Final Thoughts
When leaders resist frameworks that explore behavioral influences, it’s often out of fear that accountability will suffer. But the truth is, ignoring these factors doesn’t make them go away—it just makes them harder to fix.
So next time you find yourself tempted to dismiss an explanation as an excuse, take a step back. Are you letting someone off the hook? Or are you giving them the insight and tools they need to actually meet the standard?
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