Leadership Begins And Ends With You

Too many leaders fail a critical test when faced with adverse conditions or results.

"(blank) is not done. I repeatedly asked for the (insert item or action here) from (insert subordinate's name here)."

Or maybe, "This is concerning to me; I'll email them."

Unfortunately, in doing so, they are telling everyone they are not leading but reporting. And reporting is not what a leader does. A skilled leader creates conditions, actions, and accountability that lead to success.

And more career-damaging is when a leader pushes the responsibility from them and onto another; the action signals how their mind works regarding self-accountability: it's not their fault; it's other people's fault.

Shakespeare had a saying for that.

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves," he wrote.

Granted, Shakespeare did not tour the theaters of London delivering leadership advice, but his words continue to resonate with today's best leaders – and for good reason.

People naturally follow others who demonstrate clear direction, reasoning, and self-accountability.

The truth is that not everyone wants to be a leader—and neither should they. Similarly, not everyone is cut out to live on the sharp end of a performance knife 24/7. But the world—and employees—need talented and effective leaders.

Early in my career, I met the head of a large Midwestern printing facility. His operation was highly time-oriented with exacting terms of performance. If you think the old phrase "trains run on time," my friend's expectations were even higher. And he ran a tight, super-productive operation.

Standing outside his office one day, he pulled me aside. I was in my first sales management position, leading a dozen people. As stern as he could be, he took a shine to me. I figured he spotted the green in me.

"The first rule to leadership is always to take responsibility for your actions," he said. "And never blame your boss for you having to carry out difficult actions. Doing so instantly takes away all your respect from your team. Reduces you to cog instead of the wheel in their eyes."

Ownership of actions or results is a key discipline of successful leaders. While generous with credit, the best leaders instinctively absorb the responsibility of things not going as planned. The first step becomes, "What could I have done to ensure a better outcome?" And from there, actions vs. blame happen.

Life is not as clearly defined in the children's board game Candyland. Each day is unpredictable, holding surprises you may never anticipate. Leaders must solidify their plays in the face of adverse conditions and situations. Self-accountability at the top of the action list quickly sets the table for improved conditions.

Leaders know their playbook contains a relatively short list of assets to leverage with their teams—and trust is non-negotiable. The way to earn trust is to demonstrate self-accountability as a strength, not a retreat towards weakness. Your team needs to know you hold yourself to an unwavering level of self-accountability.

After all, Shakespeare knew that 500 years ago.

-30-