“The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it.” — Lou Holtz
Leadership is great. Leadership is also scary, because you must lead. If you are leading, people are following you. That means, they are emulating your lead, your attitude, living in the culture that you have given them.
Think of it this way. It’s your garden, you planted everything in it. If you are getting results that you say you don’t want, it’s all on you. You planted it! It’s also your responsibility to get the weeds out of your garden, because if you don’t, they will choke all the life out of the good stuff that is there!
That’s a pretty good analogy…
- If you have people that just don’t get “it”, its your fault. You are the culture maker and leader. They are your people, you ultimately put them there. Your people buy in to your culture, whatever culture that is. Fix it, make it right, get better people if you must. Take responsibility.
- If you have a communication problem, again, it’s your fault. People communicate the way they have been taught. You’re the one that taught them their “language”. You are obviously OK with it. If you’re not, take responsibility and make it right.
- If you have problems of trust, lying, greed, that is all on your shoulders. Take a good look at yourself, because they are following you.
- If your managers, departments, groups, staff, or practically anyone under your leadership is having any issue or problem within your organization, the problem is almost always a leadership problem. It is your responsibility. Own it!
Leadership is your problem. The good news is that you are also the solution. A leaders job is to empower his or her people, to help them to succeed. Therefore, whatever is going on that you don’t like with your people, remember, you have empowered them to do it. So, you must be the solution. And you can be. Fix yourself, learn what the problem is, and make it better within you. Then, fix it with your people. Own it, take responsibility, and make it right. No one else can, only you.
That is why you are the leader.
“In times like the present, men should utter nothing for which they would not willingly be responsible through time and eternity.”
— Abraham Lincoln
December 1, 1862 Message to Congress
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