Responsibility

Bear Bryant, the legendary Alabama football coach, was once asked what was the key to his coaching success. He thought for a second and said, “When we win I give them (the players) all the credit and when we lose I take all the blame.” He smiled and walked away. When things go wrong, great leaders take full responsibility for the results. No excuses. Harry Truman made this clear when he uttered his famous four words...“The buck stops here!”

In one of Ronald Reagan’s cabinet meetings, General Colin Powell presented an idea he was passionate about. This discussion went on for about an hour with Reagan asking tough questions because he felt the proposal had flaws. In the end, however, he said, “Colin, it’s your call. If you think it will work, we’ll go for it.”

A few months later, however, Reagan was grilled at a news conference because the plan had failed miserably. One of the reporters asked the question, “Whose idea was this; yours or someone else’s?” Reagan didn’t hesitate. He said, “I take full responsibility.” He then glanced at Powell sitting in the front row and saw tears welling in his eyes.

After the news conference, Powell walked over to a friend and said, “I’d do anything for that man.”

Let’s take a second and look at how taking responsibility applies to my business, Dark Horse Recording.

• When people under my employ don’t come across warm and hospitable on the phone, whose responsibility is it?
• If my electric bill skyrockets because one of my employees left all thirteen central air systems on over the Christmas holidays, whose responsibility is it?
• If one of my biggest clients starts recording elsewhere...because we weren’t up on our game...perhaps a grounding problem...or some of the equipment wasn’t working to 100% satisfaction...whose responsibility is it?
• If my bills don’t get paid...If my invoices don’t get collected...If lightning strikes and wipes out Bill’s computer files in the front office because they weren’t backed up...whose responsibility is it?

IT’S MINE.

I guess you can see where I’m going with this. Bottom line, these things are all MY RESPONSIBILITY.

Remember, failure to hit the bull’s eye is never the fault of the target. That’s why successful leaders focus on responsibility over blame. Many people want to wear the cloak of leadership, but remember, with it comes the burden of responsibility.