Taking Responsibility: Challenges of Improving Processes, Organizations and People

Sep 22

Taking responsibility is, indisputably, one of the practices that makes a great leader. Accountability, integrity, and dedication are all skills that support a leader when it comes time to own up.

As a leader, you need to remember you need to take responsibility all the time. It's important to own your decisions about processes, teams, and individuals.

Taking Your Swing

Leadership is like golf. In golf, it's just you, your club and the ball. The outcome depends on you, which include the decisions you make, your preparation and your practice.

You can't always make the perfect shot, just like you can't always make the perfect leadership decision. However, as a leader, you can take responsibility for everything you do.

It can seem tough, especially in a time of uncertainty and rapid change. Constantly practice your leadership skills, commit to improvement, and follow your vision of success. When you do this, you'll start to see these challenges in a different light.

Improving Processes

It's easy to see the process side of business as the domain of hard skills. However, no matter how complex or technical your process is, it still involves people. That's why you need to be there as a leader.

It's your job to look past metrics and technicalities. It's your job to look past how things are being done to determine whether you and your team are doing the right things.

Improving Organizations

Organizations are increasingly complex these days, which bring unique challenges for you as a leader.

How do you lead generationally diverse teams? How do you make sure everybody has a voice that's heard and valued? How do you bring everyone together when everyone seems so different?

The key is to focus on what makes everyone on your team the same, which is your vision of success. Clear vision, communicated effectively throughout your organization, should prepare you well for nearly any challenges that arise from organizational complexity.

Improving People

As a leadership coach and mentor, improving people is a major focus of my life. It was the same when I was a corporate leader. The best leaders create more leaders.

Ideally, you want your leadership practice to inspire people to make the right choice for your organization's vision. Through your clear communication, focused vision, inspiring example and professional integrity, your job is to show them the way forward.

This can be a challenging process, but your soft skills will help you through it. If all else fails, listen for a while. Take what you learn, re-focus, practice, and then step back and help your team succeed.