Accountability has for the longest of times been touted as one of the key pillars of governance, for very good reasons. Can one talk about governance without accountability? Especially when you consider the fact that we are living in a world where complexity is not only the order of the day, but the degree of complexity is also constantly increasing? Amid all the chaos it would be a fallacy to ignore the importance of accountability. Yet, there are often signs that accountability is either not understood at a deep enough level or, where there is a real understanding of the concept, it is not always being practiced as it should – perhaps because we tend to see its applicability for others, but sometimes battle to see how it applies to us, because we know our intentions (or think that we do).
When Leadership Wounds the Conscience
30 June 2026
The last thing I expected that day was an apology. For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, I was at a loss for words. The young man sitting opposite me had just admitted that he had helped fabricate stories about me because his boss had instructed him to do so. I remember my anger. What I did not understand then was the injury he had suffered himself.
