Proactive problem solving - take ownership when being blamed

When a problem is discovered what is more important, to be right or to correct the issue? Logically, we know fixing it is the priority, but we often play the blame game. The more trivial the problem, the bigger the blame. A strategy from Jocko Willink 's book Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual is to simply eliminate the back and forth and take ownership, even when being blamed. Willink says, “That’s the whole point! When your team blames you, you say, ‘Yes! Everything is my fault. I am the leader, and I am responsible for everything that happens—the good and the bad—and yes, this is my fault. And here is what I am going to do to fix it.’” Extreme ownership to the max!

Taking the blame doesn’t mean you’re at fault, but it shifts the mindset from complaining and finger pointing to resolution. It means that you offer your solution or turn to your team and ask them to offer suggestions to fix the problem. Human nature lets us complain, particularly if we don’t have a solution, because it’s cathartic. Rip the bandage. Force the mind to focus on solutions and you remove lots of wasted time and get the job done.

Besides resolving the problem, you diffuse potential hot spots in the team. If everyone focuses on fixing the problem, blame, shame, and doubt don’t have as much oxygen. Removing judgement is like a brainstorming session, just write it down, no bad ideas, we’re focused on getting all options on the table.

It is a simple approach, but it isn’t easy. We don’t like to take blame when we are wrong, so it is a tough pill to swallow if we are not. But is being blamed or right more important than getting things moving properly? Is being defensive a great posture? No and no. Stop playing defense, take the hit, solve the problem, and move forward. Your team will respect your willingness as a leader to be a problem solver and to have their back. Over time, they will start to take an ownership mindset which will help you all think about how to avoid problems and take preemptive ownership. As the team gels around this concept, you become stronger, more resilient, and operate with a focused purpose to do the right thing, support the team, and eliminate issues before they become problems.