Can Accountability Be Taught? (Meltzer vs. Hormozi)

Phil DePaul

13d • Riffs & Dumps

I’ve been wrestling with a question:

Can accountability actually be learned?

David Meltzer says no — it’s one of the four traits he cannot teach anyone.

Leila Hormozi says yes — accountability can be broken into levels and developed like any other skill.

So who’s right?

Turns out, they both are.

Because they’re talking about two different kinds of accountability.

1. Foundational Accountability (Meltzer)

This is the deep, internal stuff:

“I’m responsible for my life.”
“Everything happens for me.”
“I look inward first.”

You can’t teach this to someone who rejects responsibility.It’s a shift in worldview — a personal choice.

Most people don’t fail at tasks.

They fail at ownership.

This is why the wrong person will never become the right person… no matter how much training you throw at them.

2. Functional Accountability (Hormozi)

This is the practical, behavioral side:

how to communicate
how to make decisions
how to recommend vs. ask
how to own outcomes
how to close the loop

Most people are willing to be accountable…they just don’t know how to do it consistently.

And this is teachable — with reps, clarity, and the right progression.

⚡My BoomZeal Insight

You can’t teach willingness — Meltzer is right.

But once someone is willing, you can absolutely teach the behaviors — and that’s where Hormozi is right.

Here's how I think of it:

Meltzer is talking about the seed.

Hormozi is talking about the garden.

One is internal.

One is trainable.

And together, they explain why accountability feels so rare… and why real leadership requires both.

💥What I’m Building

I’m currently working on a simple framework that helps people understand where they are with accountability — and how to level up in a practical, repeatable way.