A few weeks ago I attended a training program where we were
assigned some electronics to aid our learning experiences. As much as we did
not ask for them, we were entrusted with them for the duration of the training
program. As fate would have it, I misplaced or rather lost the gadget to be
more precise. I could not locate where I had placed it after a while and now it
was time to hand it back.
Panic is an understatement of what I went through as I frantically
looked everywhere for this gadget. I could feel my stress levels go up and
would gladly make use of a scape goat at the moment but I knew that as hard as
it was, I still had to own up. I remember sitting in a taxi heading home and
having this internal dialogue where I told myself I choose to believe the best
of everyone which makes no one a suspect in this matter.
The mind has a way of getting the most of us. I was already
developing a list of potential suspects in my mind and I knew the effect that
these thoughts would have on my relationships with these people. By using to
own up even at the cost of refunding the gadget, I still chose the believe the
best of everyone and assume that some rare stranger had taken the gadget of
indeed it had been stolen.
Life is full of choices, and what you make of them determines
your entire experience. Sometimes you may swim against the current, and other
times you may go with the flow. Recognizing that the outcome of your life is a
product of your decisions is what accepting personal responsibility is all
about. Weather any storm that may come your way like the captain of a ship,
since after all, calm waters never made a skillful sailor.
The real difference between being responsible and being
irresponsible is an indication of how effectively we’re managing our lives when
the opportunity to make a good or bad choice presents itself. Accepting
responsibility is one of the most important factors in defining a person’s true
character. When that responsible moment comes, what you do – or don’t do – is
an indication of the type of person you really are.
Failing to accept personal responsibility may work to your
advantage on occasion or in the short term. For example, you might get away
with keeping your mouth shut about something that you’ve done, or even blaming
someone else for your misdeeds. You might not face consequences for your wrong
actions...at the time. However – make no mistake about this – eventually this
poor choice will catch up with you and, it’ll typically cause more pain for you
down the road than if you’d stepped up to the situation, took responsibility
for it and honestly said, “I did it”
“When you
blame others, you give up your power to change.”
Author Unknown
Author Unknown
In a typical workplace, you will have several opportunities
to take responsibility or to pass on the blame. Make a personal decision to
always own up for your mistakes and to apologize as need arises. Sometimes as a
leader you will even have to take the responsibility for your team and own up
on their behalf then straighten it out with the responsible individuals later. Whichever
situation you find yourself in, make a conscious decision to own up for your
responsibilities. That is one sure way to guarantee your success in any given
career.
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