The Six Most Powerful Accountability Words

“This won’t happen again, will it?”

There shouldn’t be question mark at the end of that question, because it’s not really a question. It’s a statement that should actually end with a period. In fact, it’s a statement that says much, much more than just those six little words.

I first heard those words from a pastor who was doing a Sunday morning walkthrough with a staff member. They came upon one of the overflow rooms, and the sunlight streaming in the windows completely washed out the worship service that was being projected. The pastor stopped and looked at the staff member and said those six powerful words:

This Won’t Happen Again, Will It?

Those six little words are the most powerful accountability words you could possibly say because of what those words are actually saying.

• They say, “That isn’t acceptable.”
• They say, “You are the one who’s responsible for fixing it.”
• They say, “If that does happen again, it won’t happen again … because I’ll find someone else who will make sure it won’t happen again.”

One of the biggest issues plaguing today’s church leadership is what I call participation trophy syndrome. You know the drill—show up, put in some effort, and everyone gets a pat on the back. In the church world, we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that trying is just as good as doing. It’s not. Running up and down the field might break a sweat, but if you never score, what’s the point? Out in the real world, if you “try hard” but fail to deliver, your boss isn’t handing you a ribbon for effort—they’re putting you on an action plan. And if the results still don’t come? You’re out. Fired. Done. Yet in the church, where the stakes are infinitely higher, we keep handing out participation awards and wondering why we’re not winning the game.

In business, the bottom line is profit. In the church, the bottom line is eternity. We’re not just talking about quarterly earnings—we’re talking about people’s souls. That means we can’t afford to let well, at least they tried be our standard for leadership. If we want real Kingdom impact, we’ve got to start expecting results. Not excuses. Not busywork. Results. And when things don’t get done? The right response isn’t oh well, we tried. It’s this won’t happen again, will it? That phrase isn’t just six words—it’s a line in the sand. It’s accountability. It’s the difference between a church that moves and a church that dies.

The six most powerful accountability words: “This won’t happen again … will it?”

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Let’s be clear. “This won’t happen again, will it?” isn’t a rhetorical question either. Those six little words require a decisive response. They’re action words that demand action. They demand results.

So, the next time the choir special isn’t all that special, the words on the worship slides are misspelled, or the newsletter article is a day late, simply use those six little words:

This won’t happen again, will it?

… and it won’t.

Question: What are other powerful accountability tools you’ve used in your ministry? Share your experience with us in the Comments Section below.