Why is accountability important? Empowering leaders and teams to excel
| Article | Managing a team Learning and development Talent management Workforce planning
In the Middle East, only 15% of employees report being actively engaged at work, one of the lowest rates worldwide—yet highly engaged teams deliver up to 21% higher profitability and 41% lower absenteeism, Fast Company. Accountability is what bridges that gap between passive alignment and proactive performance.
When people clearly understand their responsibilities and feel empowered to own outcomes, they’re far more likely to innovate, collaborate, and stay with your organisation. In this blog, we’ll explore why accountability is important not just as a feel‑good concept, but as a strategic driver of agility in hybrid environments, resilience amid disruption, and talent retention in a candidate‑driven market.
Here, you’ll gain a clear framework for embedding ownership into every role, so your business can convert low engagement into high‑impact results as we share practical steps to embed ownership into every layer of your organisation.
Accountable teams thrive on trust, transparency, and a shared vision. Here’s why focusing on why accountability is important can transform your organisation:
The GCC is a hyper-competitive, candidate-driven environment. With sovereign wealth funds, multinational tech firms, and emerging start-ups all competing for top talent, the balance of power has shifted to employees. Salaries in Riyadh and Dubai have been rising steadily: for example, our KSA Salary Guide 2025 highlights an increase in IT and digital roles year-on-year. Against this backdrop, why is accountability important in a team beyond salary?
Work styles matter.
Employees want autonomy to make decisions, and especially when working remotely.
Company purpose is under the microscope. Teams want to see that their projects link back to a broader mission: Think Expo City Dubai’s sustainability goals, the UAE’s net-zero-by-2050 pledge, and Masdar City’s drive for carbon-neutral buildings. When daily tasks connect to these regional missions, everyone understands exactly why their work matters.
Flexibility is expected. More organisations are offering flexible hours or even four–day workweeks in the UAE. But with flexibility comes the need for clear ownership—if you let people work how they want, you have to let them be fully responsible.
In short, modern professionals in the UAE, KSA, Qatar, and beyond want to be held accountable—but not stifled. They want to “own it,” learn from mistakes, and level up.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are no longer “nice-to-haves” in the Middle East. From Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms to the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 pledge, every corporate promise is scrutinised. Today’s candidates ask: “Are you walking the talk?” That means CEOs and senior leadership must demonstrate accountability in leadership by:
Showing empathy. In multi-generational GCC workplaces, where Gen Z and Millennials often lag behind Gen X in management roles, where understanding diverse expectations is now non-negotiable.
Reporting on progress. If you promise to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2027 (as many Dubai-based firms have), you need transparent KPIs that even junior team members can track.
Committing to long-term change. Token ESG statements won’t cut it. Candidates want to see consistent reporting, genuine resource allocation (think dedicated “Sustainability Leads” in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City), and measurable outcomes.
When leadership holds itself accountable, it cascades down the organisation. Employees feel empowered to call out discrepancies and in a constructive way.
"It is no surprise that teams given personal ownership over projects deliver better results." — Charu Dhingra, Senior Director, Practice Head - Talent Advisory Services, Middle East
Communicate faster (no more endless e-mail threads).
Trust builds innovation and impact (According to Deloitte’s 2023 Middle East Human Capital Trends report, organisations that actively co-create with their workforce are two times more likely to be innovative and nearly two times more likely to have a highly engaged workforce. When employees feel safe to speak up and own their ideas, accountability thrives, and so does innovation).
Collaborate seamlessly on complex initiatives, such as rolling out AI-driven recruitment platforms or implementing remote learning for upskilling staff.
As a leader in a region where many projects span countries (for example, a logistics joint venture between a Dubai logistics provider and a Saudi developer), demonstrating your own accountability, e.g. personally checking in on deadlines, owning up to resource constraints, sets a powerful example. You’re essentially saying, “I’m in this with you.” That kind of leadership amplifies individual ownership, resulting in higher team performance and, ultimately, better profit margins.
You can make accountability your competitive advantage.
Accountability isn’t just about individual responsibility, it’s about creating the right conditions for people to do their best work. When teams take ownership, they move faster, adapt smarter, and deliver better results. For organisations across the Middle East navigating digital transformation, localisation goals, or hybrid structures, accountability is a business-critical asset.
Now is the time to shift from intention to action. Build a culture where expectations are clear, feedback is consistent, and employees feel empowered to deliver with purpose. The result? A more engaged, agile, and high-performing workforce.
In this exclusive interview, he shares candid advice on building trust, maintaining speed in decision-making, and embedding ownership across teams.
Get in touch with our advisory team to build strategies to fully-optimise your teams or continue your journey with Hays and drive new strategies to lead with impact, read more:
