Terry Rice, Entrepreneur Magazine Business Development Expert-in-Residence wrote the following:
"When things go wrong with a project, I assume I’m the one who messed up.
Why?
Because that means it’s within my power to fix it - or avoid in the future - and I’m not just a victim of circumstance.
These are examples of what goes through my head:
✓ I should have vetted that partner better
✓ I should have been more clear in my directions
✓ I should have established a solid due date
✓ I should have sent over an example of what success looks like
We all have a finite amount of energy.
When you take 100% responsibility you spend time and energy on fixing the problem as opposed to pointing fingers.
Ego is the enemy, focus on impact."
I absolutely LOVE this perspective because unfortunately, leaders are often the last people to admit that they are wrong.
Ummm....
Maybe it's just me....but I have sat in the room and on teams where leaders would place blame on everything BUT THEMSELVES as a possible "reason for the pilot's failure."
This post and perspective truly blessed my entire soul and was something I had to learn about leadership…
Especially when leading large teams…
I’ve had a team of 2 and a team of 38…and everyone would interpret my instructions in their own way….😏😩🙄
Soo... I had to learn everyone’s employee love language, execution language, support language, momentum language….BUT most of all focus on how I was perceived and received by my team.
If I was the only person clear on the instructions….no matter how “Claritin clear” I thought I was…when things didn’t go as planned…I always looked in the mirror and asked clarifying questions of my team and myself - so that I could improve and WE could do better the next time 😉
Thanks for the reminder Terry Rice!! It was truly Leadership 101!!