Many agencies believe they have an accountability problem when creatives miss deadlines — but what they actually have is a management-style problem. When project managers dictate schedules hour-by-hour, creatives lose ownership over their work and disengage. True accountability comes from autonomy, not control. To build a culture where deadlines are met and great work thrives, agencies must shift from command-and-control structures to systems that empower creatives to commit to their own timelines.