While vision is about things that are fuzzy, distant and often pertaining to the big picture, a soft skill called ‘personal accountability‘ deals with issues that are more transparent and immediate. This soft skill is about being an enabler of things and having the will to do anything in your power – technical and otherwise – to make things happen instead of passively spinning around as a cog in the wheel.
We are accountable for our decisions in our personal life so why shouldn’t we be just as accountable in our work life? – Catherine Pulsifer
Personal accountability is much more than personal responsibility. It implies accepting ownership. It is a soft skill. It is more important when you interface with customers.
The different components of accountability are: 
- Taking initiatives and boldness
- Problem solving
- Accuracy and perfection
- Exceeding expectations & vowing clients or customers
- Taking up slack for others – relationship with team
- Resourcefulness
- Open mindedness
- Communication and follow-through
- Professionalism
While personal accountability implies taking ownership and doing what it takes to get the job done, it does not give you unlimited license to do what you want.
The line that separates personal accountability from un-controlled anarchy:
- Know the limits of your job, what you can do
- Know the limits of your role in the organization
- Take the blame too, where appropriate; don’t pass the buck