Chew the Gristle: Taking Responsibility Like a Leader
Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Taking responsibility is the warmth of sunrise. Without it life loses its melody. Avoiding responsibility is tumbling into the grave.
You lose it when you don’t own it. When you don’t own your marriage, it dies. When you don’t take responsibility for your team, it flounders. Taking responsibility is vitality.
Taking responsibility:
Failure you don’t own returns like a nagging pimple. Own it or repeat it.
Take charge of your responsibilities before someone else does. Own it or lose it. Face the disappointment you cause others. Don’t explain why you’re mediocre. You insult yourself when you trample the people who trust you.
Taking responsibility means chewing the gristle when it’s easier to spit it out.
Responsibility for failure:
It’s self-centered to take failure personally. “See how I’m struggling.” You lower yourself when you beat yourself down. Lift yourself and inspire others.
Say three things when you fail.
- I’m learning to…. (Remember you are always learning. You have never learned anything.)
- I’m learning not to….
- Next time I’ll….
Excuses:
Someone said an excuse is the skin of a reason wrapped in a lie. No excuses. No blaming.
An excuse validates failure and drags incompetence into the present. Everyone who tries fails. Our trouble is we don’t fail enough. Lack of failure empties life of vitality.
An excuse is another way of saying don’t change anything. Don’t expect much from me.
Fear of failure:
Those who don’t fear failure – at least a little – end up failing. A little fear brings you to life.
Fear of failure is concern for reputation. You don’t want to feel embarrassed. More important you don’t want to disappoint yourself.
What idea in today’s post can you carry with you through the day?
What would you add to today’s post?
Still curious:
How to Navigate the Gap Between Responsibility and Ability
An Elegant Accountability Practice for Today
Developing Personal Accountability – Taking Responsibility to Get Ahead
Thanks Dan. Another Drop the Mic Moment. Blessings. Anthony
Thanks, Anthony. I trust you are well. I appreciate the good word.
Curious, is this a typo, “(Remember you are always learning. You have never learned anything.)”? I think we learn a lot and master nothing. Regardless, there’s power in today’s message and it’s appreciated.
Thanks for checking, Scott. I think you have the message. You said it better than me. We learn and lot and master nothing. I prefer learning to learned.
In a world focused on outcomes, somehow, we’ve let the importance of character diminish…
Great post — owning up, especially when you can passively let it go by in silence, is a mark of a strong character.
Powerful sentence, Ken. “In a world focused on outcomes, somehow, we’ve let the importance of character diminish.”
Love the simplicity to ‘just own it’. So many fear the growth through failure. Own what was done and teach from that moment in time. Appreciate the message today!
Thanks, Sara. It’s odd that something so important can be expressed with such small words. Cheers
“An excuse is another way of saying don’t change anything. Don’t expect much from me.” Wow. And ouch! I love this statement.
I feel the pain myself, Kelly. In one breath I resist the rigors of responsibility. In the other, I know that the legs of a worthwhile life are responsibility and accountability.
The visuals on these tips and points are what really get through to me. I’ve heard these things over and over, but a great analogy really zings it home in the brain (and heart).
Thanks for the feedback, Julie. I usually don’t use lots of metaphors. Perhaps I should rethink that approach.
Love the Churchill quote. “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Raising my two children, I tried to teach them two things–be responsible and be honest.
Thanks, Paul. The alternative is dishonesty and lack of accountability. What kind of life is that. Responsibility produces vitality.
Rarely is anything a total failure. I try to focus on what worked, what didn’t, how could I have done it differently. It helps me move it in the right direction, and models for staff a more positive way for them to think about and not fear their own mistakes.
Thanks Mary-Ellen. I suppose if we learn from it, it’s not a total failure (Unless you’re flying jet planes).
I love the line: “An excuse is another way of saying don’t change anything. Don’t expect much from me.” So powerful, and so true. We hide behind our excuses, rather than facing the fallout with honesty and humility. Honesty and humility are the building blocks of life that craft us. We experience, we grow, we move on…
Thanks, Cheryl. You added the word humility to the conversation. So important. Humility is foundational to learning. And as you indicate, humility is moldable. Cheers.
Personal responsibility- the ability to own a mistake/problem- is something I look for in future employees. Lack of personal responsibility is a trait that I notice in employees I’ve inherited.
Owning mistakes/problems reflects that you want to fix them and do better. Shedding responsibility shows you want nothing to do with improving.
In my opinion of course.
Thanks for jumping in, Josh. We focus too much on skills and not enough on character and personal qualities when hiring. We say it’s about the people, but our practice suggests it’s about skills. Obviously, skills matter. Who we are matters more than what we can do. Cheers.
Your image of chewing on the gristle, rather than spitting it out, created a tangible and tactile image of responsibility.
Thanks, Mike. Your feedback is appreciated.