![]() It’s only when we, as individuals, take full responsibility for a problem that we focus our full attention on it and feel the pressure we need to drive results.įinally, by owning a problem and taking action, we can help others. Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” All of us can think of many times when the leaders we admired declined to wait for help and instead pioneered solutions. In the environments in which I’ve worked, the most productive people and those most likely to succeed were those who were proactive about finding and solving problems, and comfortable acting with increasing autonomy and decreased oversight. Second, as the above example alludes, this ownership can free us to drive results. In the words of executive vice president John Mendel, “…the comments of Consumer Reports and our customers have not gone unnoticed. Honda quickly followed up by announcing a new release for 2013, a year ahead of the original plan. All that mattered was claiming ownership of the issue and charting a path forward. The origination of the failed concept - his or not - did not matter. Ito took decisive action, publicly assuming full responsibility for the model’s reception. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito may be demonstrating that concept in real time with his recent actions after the release of the new Honda Civic quickly fell short of expectations. Focusing on responsibility offers a sense of peace. Fixating on blame delays taking corrective action and inhibits learning. But fault is backward-looking, and responsibility is forward-looking. Often, we have to deal with situations for which we’re not at fault. A leader may be responsible for a situation even if it’s not his fault. A classmate, Curt, pointed out, “There’s a big difference between fault and responsibility. Many of us were conflating the two terms: fault and responsibility. ![]() Very early in my first year of business school, we were discussing whether an executive in a case study was to blame for a problem in his company and whether fixing it was his responsibility. And doing so may start with three simple points of understanding.įirst, by recognizing the difference between fault and responsibility, we can eschew the blame game and take ownership of difficult problems. ![]() And in a world of political and financial bailouts, they (and other generations) may begin to see personal, professional, and social problems as issues for others to solve.īut leaders of all ages could afford to act as if help is not coming more often. Many managers perceive them as needing guidance, structure, and constant feedback. Millennials are history’s most educated generation and often come from smaller families where helicopter parents watched over them carefully. This may be particularly important for young leaders, often characterized as a coddled generation. But it does mean you own the obligation to take action and deliver results. Nor does it mean that you shouldn’t involve others. It doesn’t always mean you have authority over a project. The responsibility is yours, and it starts with developing a belief or habit of mind that you, as an individual, are accountable for the quality and timeliness of an outcome, even when you’re working with others. According to Ben-Shaher, Branden believed that taking responsibility was the first step to developing a healthy sense of self and that we internalize the idea of taking responsibility when we realize, “no one is coming.” One year ago, I heard Tal Ben-Shahar speak about this concept he learned it from Nathaniel Branden, the father of the self-esteem movement. One of the most common momentum killers I’ve seen in my professional life is our propensity to wait for someone else to act, take initiative, assume blame, or take charge. Are you stalled in a project at work, waiting on someone else to take initiative to get things moving? Are you in a broken professional relationship - with a manager, coworker, or employee - hoping the other person assumes blame and fixes the issue? Are you looking for an easy way to get focused or improve your productivity - a silver bullet from an unexpected source?
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