Responsibility
Successful leaders give others credit when things go right and accept
their responsibility for when things go wrong. (Adapted from Jim Collins book, “Good to Great”)
You can tell when a team is about to “come apart at the seams”. First, a series of bad plays sets up the other team’s success. Second, the other team seizes the
momentum and begins a run of unanswered points. Everything is reversible up to this point—basketball, after all, is a game of streaks. However, without
good leadership you can see the whole team start to unravel. Players drop their heads in frustration. Then a player yells critical comments at a teammate. The accused player then not only defends himself or herself, but also responds
with a verbal attack at some other player. Soon, everybody is assigning blame and explaining, “It’s not my fault.”
But everything changes if the leader of the team says, “I’m not getting the job done, but I am going to work harder—now let’s all get this thing turned around!” When this happens, a team is ready to go back on the attack.
What is the difference? According to author Jim Collins, it is the difference between looking out the window or in the mirror when things go wrong. Trueleadership refuses to look“out the window” to blame others and instead
“looks in the mirror” to accept responsibility. When a whole team does this—the impact is amazing! Conversely, when things go great, the true leader
influences everyone else by giving praise to his or her teammates. That leader makes the team stronger, more confident, and much more competitive.
Jesus taught a very simple principle of leadership that is often repeated verbally but seldom applied behaviorally. The principle applies to teams, families, and in all areas of life where you want to be a leader:
How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck
that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. Luke 6:42
Want to lead your team? When things go bad, look in the mirror first! When things go great, look out the window first!
their responsibility for when things go wrong. (Adapted from Jim Collins book, “Good to Great”)
You can tell when a team is about to “come apart at the seams”. First, a series of bad plays sets up the other team’s success. Second, the other team seizes the
momentum and begins a run of unanswered points. Everything is reversible up to this point—basketball, after all, is a game of streaks. However, without
good leadership you can see the whole team start to unravel. Players drop their heads in frustration. Then a player yells critical comments at a teammate. The accused player then not only defends himself or herself, but also responds
with a verbal attack at some other player. Soon, everybody is assigning blame and explaining, “It’s not my fault.”
But everything changes if the leader of the team says, “I’m not getting the job done, but I am going to work harder—now let’s all get this thing turned around!” When this happens, a team is ready to go back on the attack.
What is the difference? According to author Jim Collins, it is the difference between looking out the window or in the mirror when things go wrong. Trueleadership refuses to look“out the window” to blame others and instead
“looks in the mirror” to accept responsibility. When a whole team does this—the impact is amazing! Conversely, when things go great, the true leader
influences everyone else by giving praise to his or her teammates. That leader makes the team stronger, more confident, and much more competitive.
Jesus taught a very simple principle of leadership that is often repeated verbally but seldom applied behaviorally. The principle applies to teams, families, and in all areas of life where you want to be a leader:
How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck
that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will
see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. Luke 6:42
Want to lead your team? When things go bad, look in the mirror first! When things go great, look out the window first!