Take the Blame, Not the Credit
A fatal flaw that is often seen among leaders is equating mistakes with failure. Mistakes should not be feared but expected when you empower others to enable them to grow and learn through their own mistakes. A leader who plays the “blame game” when mistakes are made or unexpected consequences arise from a path chosen, increases the insecurity of their people and lessens the likelihood that they’ll ever take the initiative towards new opportunities for greatness or growth.
An important aspect of leadership is to bear the blame when things go wrong (particularly if you empowered people to begin with) and be the first to give credit to others when things go right. A leader who assumes the blame and passes the credit sends a message that mistakes are part of learning and improvement, and that when things go wrong, it’s an opportunity for step-change growth.
In our customer-focused business at Waste Management, I valued the ability to make quick decisions based on the best available information and input from others, and I empowered others to do the same. It was important for me and people in the field to respond quickly to customer issues so we could show the customers we really cared and could be responsive to them.
The organizational model we developed for Waste Management was structured around the local market areas to empower decisions to be made locally rather than at the regional or higher level in the organization, so we could respond to customers quickly and effectively. We learned that a quick and effective recovery from a mistake with a customer really solidified our relationship with our customer.
I also valued that we were quick to determine if I or others made the wrong decision based on what we knew at the time. People on our team knew we were going to make the best decision we could based upon everyone’s input, and if it turned out later that we made the wrong decision, I would be the first to say I made a mistake, and then we were quick to make a course correction.
The leader may not always be the one who directly caused something to go wrong, but when you empower others to make decisions, mistakes will be made, and things will sometimes go wrong. If you blame others when things go wrong (and at times things can go wrong, and decisions can have unintended consequences), you can be assured that your team will never step out and try things on their own ever again.
If you step up as the team leader and say you made the wrong decision and we now need to make some adjustments, you will endear your team to you unlike ever before by showing them you have their back. They will see that you aren’t just looking for someone else to blame. They’ll see by your actions that we are all in this to win together as a team.
I always told people we should expect mistakes, but the key to success was identifying and correcting mistakes so we didn’t make the same mistake again. The key to being successful is to not make a mistake that could have been avoided by:
Not noticing or considering other points of view that could provide wise counsel;
Ignoring the facts; or
Not learning from prior mistakes and, in any event, recovering quickly from the mistake.
In Proverbs 29:1, we read, “Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed — without remedy.” Many leaders make the mistake of not listening to others, because they think their own brilliance got them where they are today. If you don’t seek out and take notice of wise counsel or what others may be telling you to help you, you’re headed down a path of ruin. When you make a mistake, you can’t withdraw or try to hide the mistake, or you’ll destroy trust on your team or with your customer. You must take responsibility for the mistake, acknowledge it, and own it. Apologize to the people who are impacted by your mistake, learn from it, make it right, and recover strong.
And finally, when you have successes along the way, give credit to and notice other team members rather than taking credit yourself. Giving credit to others will solidify the trust and respect they have for you as their leader. Being aware of how your words and actions impact others is of vital importance as you strive to become a loved and respected servant leader that others want to follow.
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