CHAPTER THREE
WHAT AM I REALLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR?
The ancient Romans posed a question that all societies answer in one way or another. Their question was, “Quis custodies ipsos custodies?” or “Who guards the guardians?” The guardians are individuals and groups with power over other people, and the Romans understood, from hard experience, why these people needed oversight. Otherwise, they would use their power to serve their own interests and not society’s. A fundamental challenge for any society is holding its guardians—business executives, government officials, doctors, police officers, and others—accountable for how they use their power.
At the same time, the guardians themselves need standards of accountability, and so do their organizations. ...
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