Every business has two critical abilities that determine its true success.
- Profit – ability: the means or skill to gather financial gains.
- Account – ability: the means or skill to be responsible for one’s actions, decisions, and their all of their outcomes.
Why we celebrate profit but ignore accountability
We see companies obsessively chasing growth, scale, and the race to be first to market. We celebrate profitability with enthusiasm, sharing exit stories, impressive numbers, and tales of rapid expansion. Yet the “at what cost” question arrives only later, and it never comes from the companies themselves.
Instead, journalists become the ones asking about human impact. They investigate how many people Tesla’s “autopilot” killed while the company ran its “self-driving” experiment. They expose the workload conditions that led to Amazon workers peeing in bottles. They write about the shortcuts companies took to reach their impressive quarterly results.
The dangerous elevation of profit above all else
The fundamental problem is very simple: we have elevated profitability as the only measure of success. Meanwhile, accountability becomes something we practice only when required. For compliance, for ESG reporting, for public relations. Rarely do companies embrace accountability because they genuinely care about their impact.
The reality is simple however: profitability without accountability is toxic. This imbalance leads to companies that appear financially healthy but are fundamentally broken inside. It creates leaders who deliver impressive results while leaving devastated teams in their wake. It produces successes that cannot be sustained because they rest on practices that inevitably collapse.
What true business accountability looks like
If you are a company or person with profit – ability, then take full account – ability as well.
This commitment means:
- Being transparent about how you make profits, not just how much. Your colleagues, customer and partners deserve to understand your methods, not just admire your margins. Transparency builds trust and reveals whether your success is sustainable.
- Taking responsibility for the impact on people, not just on spreadsheets. Financial metrics tell only part of the story. Corporate responsibility extends to the people your work with and for, communities, and everyone affected by your business decisions.
- Being honest about the non-financial cost of your growth. Every expansion has consequences beyond the balance sheet. Acknowledge these costs openly rather than hiding them until journalists uncover them.
- Stopping the excuses when things go wrong and fixing what you break. Accountability means ownership. When your business practices cause harm, take immediate action to correct the damage rather than deflecting responsibility.
The bottom line on responsible leadership
If we build businesses that are only profitable but fundamentally irresponsible, they aren’t successful at all. Real success requires both abilities working together. The capacity to generate sustainable profits while maintaining accountability for every decision and its consequences.
The real successful companies won’t be those that maximize profit at any cost. They will be the ones that recognize accountability as equally essential to their long-term success. These organizations understand that sustainable business practices aren’t obstacles to profitability, they are the foundation of lasting value creation.
Business accountability isn’t just about avoiding negative headlines. It’s about building organizations that create genuine value for people and planet first. That’s the kind of success worth pursuing.
