• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jan 29, 2023
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

taxbandits banner
Home / Leadership / Open Culture / Great Leaders Take Responsibility
Great Leaders Take Responsibility

Great Leaders Take Responsibility

2020 Views

Aug 28, 2013 By David Horsager

I have seen time and again how the committed take responsibility for their actions. In our high-litigation culture, there’s always someone else to blame. It can be easy to point the finger at suppliers, underlings, partners, and managers that just can’t seem to get things right. I have yet to meet this mass of completely incompetent workers, which leads me to think we might be trying to steer some of the fault away from where it belongs—on ourselves.

 
Deflecting blame is no way to build trust. Not only is owning up to our actions the right thing to do, but it can often overcome negative consequences. For an example, we needn’t look any farther than former Navy sub commander Scott Waddle, whose ship collided with a Japanese fishing boat, killing nine civilians. Although an investigation determined that some of his men had made errors, Captain Waddle took responsibility for the incident. While he was reprimanded for the accident, he has been largely regarded as a hero for taking full responsibility for his actions and the actions of his crew, never once diverting any criticism to them. 
 
Great leaders take responsibility. This lesson is hard for many to learn. Major League Baseball buried itself more deeply under a scandal surrounding the use of illegal steroids. As the media dug in its claws, an interesting trend emerged: The players who have been forthright with their wrongdoings have, by and large, been forgiven. In fact, a few have been praised for their integrity and candor. Imagine that a group of icons, shown to have broken the rules, are vindicated simply by coming clean. On the other hand, some players have been unwavering in their denials, even in the face of overwhelming evidence and testimony. Some may even face criminal and obstruction charges. While everyone has the right to clear his or her name if wrongly accused, being honest in the first place is the right thing to do.
 
This article was originally published by David Horsager

Filed Under: Open Culture Tagged With: Accountability, David Horsager, Mistakes, Trust

David Horsager

David Horsager

David Horsager, MA, CSP, is a business strategist, keynote speaker and author of the National Bestseller, The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line. His work has been featured in prominent publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, SUCCESS Magazine, and The Washington Post.

Related Posts

  • the-6-a-s-of-successful-leadershipJackie Meyer Wants You to Fall Back in Love with Your Job: How She Inspires Her Tax Team
  • How to Grow Your Client Base & Build A Brand They Trust
  • 4  New-Business Pitfalls (And How to Overcome Them) 

Primary Sidebar

Random

How to Decorate Your Email Signature in Gmail

Jan 27, 2023 By SmallBizClub

6 Ways To Optimize Work Schedules of Your Team Members

Jan 27, 2023 By SmallBizClub

Is Local SEO Worthwhile for Small Businesses?

Jan 26, 2023 By Annie Button

b2b-marketing-must-become-more-humanly-relevant

Building A Winning B2B Sales Enablement Strategy In 2023

Jan 25, 2023 By Michael Dunlop

employers-face-stiff-affordable-health-care-act-excise-taxes

5 Simple Tips Employers and Insurance Providers Need for 2023 ACA Reporting

Jan 25, 2023 By Stephanie Glanville

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy