Member-only story
Who do you blame when things go wrong ….
As a young Second Lieutenant, I was held accountable for everything my platoon did and did not do. The platoon’s failures, and their successes, fell squarely on my shoulders.
This is a leadership mindset I continue to hold and, if anyone on my team fails a task, the person I hold accountable is myself. Only if I am certain that I have assigned the right person, been clear in my instructions, and provided sufficient support do I then hold my teammates responsible for the failure.
To me, effective leadership means holding myself accountable. While I can delegate the responsibility for the task, I cannot delegate the accountability for it. By continuing to hold myself accountable, I continue to be involved in the task and this increases the probability of success as I am in the position to intervene if required.
In leadership, the proverbial buck stops with me and I am fully accountable for the team I lead. I, therefore, cringe when I see leaders throw their team under the bus for failures, but readily take credit for the team’s success.
Something to think about.
