Building Teams That Thrive: Lessons in Trust and Accountability

Reflecting on 38 years of naval service, including four as Chief of the Naval Staff, Ghana Navy, I look back with humility at the legacies that continue to inspire me. Among them, one lesson stands out as the most enduring: the importance of building teams anchored in trust and accountability.

The single most consequential decision any commander or leader makes is the selection of a team. It is not just about filling positions, it is about identifying the right people for the right roles, and then cultivating an environment where trust and accountability are non-negotiable values. When this foundation is established, systems begin to run almost automatically. Delegation becomes natural, and you can empower your people with confidence that they will deliver.

This path is not easy. Leadership often requires us to navigate personal relationships, loyalties, or even debts of gratitude. Friends or colleagues may feel entitled to appointments to lucrative or prestigious positions. Yet, the mission must always come first. It takes both physical and moral courage to tell your buddies, “Not this time,” when their appointment does not serve the greater good. It also requires courage to confront underperformance, to give honest feedback, and when necessary, to reassign people to roles that better suit their strengths.

During my years in command, some of the most challenging yet impactful decisions I made involved relocating people from positions where they were struggling, even when it was unpopular. In the short term, it was painful. In the long term, it preserved the integrity of the mission and strengthened the team. When team members know they are chosen for competence and trusted to deliver, they rise to the challenge. When accountability is enforced fairly, people understand that performance, not favouritism, defines success.

Too many leaders fail because they place relationships above mission. The temptation is strong, but the consequences are costly. Building thriving teams requires that we prioritise our mission, foster trust through fairness, and hold individuals accountable for their results. It is in this balance that great teams and enduring legacies are forged.