Everything is my fault.

As a CEO, everything is my fault.

It’s true. Whatever mistakes we make as a company, no matter who on my team makes it, the buck stops with me. It’s my fault.

If I hire the right people, if they try to do the right thing, and if they have the right intentions, and yet we still make a mistake, of course it’s my fault.

Don’t get me wrong. I will challenge my people.

I will challenge people who don’t learn on their own. I will challenge people who don’t finish what they start. I will challenge people who drop the ball. I will challenge people who choose easy over hard. I will challenge people who feel sorry for themselves. I will challenge people who check the boxes when they do something, rather than go above and beyond. I will challenge people who are not invested in their own growth. I will challenge people who don’t maximize their potential on my watch. I will challenge people who don’t seize opportunities, but instead give away responsibilities. I will challenge people who can’t take feedback. I will challenge people who don’t change or don’t want to change.

I seek to build an environment where people can make mistakes, and feel safe doing so.

I want people to make mistakes, to own up boldly to them, to analyze transparently how the mistake happened, to own the clean-up alongside me, to change their behavior and actions (for the better) because of the mistake, to grow in stature and confidence (because of how they handled the mistake), but to never make the same mistake twice. I want them to make new mistakes. Mistakes are where the magic of internal growth happens.

To the outside world, though, any mistake we make as a company will always be my fault, and my responsibility. No matter who makes a mistake, we close ranks internally, we never expose (to the outside world) who did it. I don't absolve people of the responsibility to clean up their mistakes. But, I rectify privately, and I never reprimand publicly. Building a safe environment for people means letting them make mistakes, but being a rock-solid shield for their reputation when they do.

Because, it’s my company, they are my people, and these are my products.

Therefore, it’s my fault.

Everything is my fault is a liberating stance.

If everything is my fault, then, everything is my responsibility. It’s my problem to fix, my situation to address, my mistake to rectify, my people to protect, my apology to extend, my correction to make, my feedback to absorb, my lesson to learn, and my area to grow in.

I like owning situations.

Everything is my fault is the ultimate ownership.