We often like to romance our impact or our legacy at the companies we worked at. Take the simple honesty test. When you left your last position, whether it was by force or choice, did you leave it in a better place than when you arrived? Having engaged in debate lately about how difficult it is to find motivated employees or effective bosses (your view simply depends on your perspective), I am taken by the blame put on others for what goes on in an office.
Frankly, none of that noise resonates with me. Either you have empowered yourself to make and be the difference, or you have not. Your inability to lead, direct, motivate or inspire as a manager is defined by the level of your commitment. Your ability to make a difference, be a positive force among your peers, and enhance the firm you are working in is determined by your sense of accountability to that role. Any failure to make a difference is on you.
There is a lot of banter–in politics, in the economy, in the media, and in businesses–about assigning blame for the things gone wrong. It is frustrating and very disappointing to witness their blaming behavior. We are only victims when we choose to be. We are leaders when we are committed to be.
One of the biggest lessons I learned about accountability is that if I see something that could be improved and do nothing, it is the same as accepting or approving of the flaw. It is similar to walking past a paper lying on the ground in the office and not picking it up because “that is not my job.” Leadership, empowerment, and accountability are about taking action on those processes, behaviors, or programs that have flaws and need improvement. Lacking commitment to improving them is tantamount to approving of them.
I encourage you to challenge yourself: If you left your employer today, could you honestly say you left it in a better situation than when you arrived? If you are not sure of the answer, I encourage you to get busy.
