Every leadership class I teach eventually arrives at the same exercise. The participants have come from agencies across the country and represent patrol officers, correctional officers, supervisors, investigators and dispatchers. Officers respect leaders who own their mistakesOne of the strongest themes to emerge from these classroom discussions is accountability. Officers consistently describe their best leaders as people who accept responsibility for their decisions, acknowledge mistakes and focus on solving problems instead of assigning blame. Officers consistently want leaders who:Communicate openly and honestly.