The fifth deadly sin in “The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership” that you received when you opted into our newsletter was “Throw your people under the bus”. This seems to be a natural response for some people when something goes wrong. People don’t want to deal with the possible consequences the mistake will bring, so they are quick to make sure that everyone knows that they are not at fault.
Nobody likes to be blamed for something that went wrong. But with many mistakes it doesn’t even matter who was at fault, what matters is that the situation is fixed and that steps are taken to ensure that it does not occur again. Placing blame will only delay fixing the mistake.
As we advised you in “The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership,” the next time something goes wrong take personal accountability for it. Instead of placing blame take a moment to consider the problem and be the first to come up with the solution. Show that you’re up for any challenge and that you are a leader who will take accountability, take action and make good things things happen!
1 comment:
I am reminded of Prof. Satish Dhawan, the then head of the Indian Space Research Organisation, who took full personal responsibility for the failure of a satellite launch vehicle though the project was headed by his junior. But a few months later when a satellite launch achieved all its objectives, the great scientist and leader in him gave total credit to the same junior and got him to address the press conference.
Prof. Dhawan knew it too well that real greatness is derived through growing greatness in members of your team.
Post a Comment