Another Superpower of the Best Leaders

People are looking for leaders who own their part.  Ones who take personal responsibility.

We Exist in an Environment of Blame and Disownment. At first blush, there is no readily apparent benefit in taking personal responsibility. If we do take responsibility, we may be sued, fired, found financially liable, demoted, criticized, imprisoned, or dropped by our insurance company. So, we naturally try to blame others or otherwise disown responsibility.

Several Factors Contributed to This Non-Responsibility. With our immense population growth and the industrialization of our society, our sense of community has eroded over the years. With less of a sense of community, it’s easier to duck responsibility. Also, litigation has transformed from a process of last resort to a powerful tool to effect social change. Adding to this, courts and legislatures in the past 70 years have been highly focused on citizens’ rights, without a similar focus on citizens’ responsibilities. Finally, the size and complexity of our world has overwhelmed many people; if one feels like they are at the mercy of the world instead of influencing it, they are likely not too inspired to take responsibility for their condition.

The Vital Importance of Taking Personal Responsibility. There is so much power in openly proclaiming, “I own this!” On a personal level, it will give you a dramatic sense of empowerment over every element of your life. As a business leader, it will significantly boost your credibility among those you are leading and every other constituent involved in your leadership role. Those in your business will believe you and have confidence in you because they will see consistency and congruency in your words and behavior. It will make you more courageous than ever before, enabling you to make the tough calls and perform the tough tasks as well as take risks. So empowered, it will allow you to build a plan for success and create accountability in your team.

GROW and SELL Advisors, wholly-owned by Traversi & Co., LLC, is a premier sell-side M&A advisory firm – a boutique investment bank – serving the lower middle market.  Visit us here.

For a short video clip on this topic, click here.