Are you really assuming your own responsibility?

As a brief reminder – I am going to quickly summarize what I have been talking about in the last few Leader Newsletter issues:

First:

I asked you to tell me about your main challenges regarding building a high performance team, engaging your direct reports with their work – and committing them to you (as their direct and disciplinary boss).

Through your answers – I discovered that many of you believe that your challenges and/or problems come from your direct reports and/or from your team (the team you lead).

Second:

I suggested to you to stop looking outwardly (looking at your direct reports and at your team) – and instead - to start looking inwardly (looking at yourself in the mirror).

I talked about your Emotional Intelligence – and I told you exactly what it is you need to do in order to improve it.

Third:

I also said that one of the fundamental building blocks of a sustainable high performance is your “proactivity.”

I warned you that if you fall inside the trap of blaming other people (your direct reports in this case), you might unconsciously play the role of the victim.

Now …

In this Leader Newsletter issue – I am going to stress something I already said about being proactive.

Not that I am being redundant – far from it.

Over half of the thousands of managers that I have worked with – doing leadership development – they don’t have a crystal clear understanding about a very simple, yet, critical point.

Please – let me illustrate this point by asking you one question.

Question:

If the team you lead is made up of you and your direct reports – then – who is responsible for the performance of the team you lead?

I repeat:

Who is responsible for the performance of the team you lead?

Possible answers:

A) You
B) Your direct reports
C) Both – meaning – you AND your direct reports

Which one is your answer?

As I already said:

Thousands of managers have told me again and again and again that the correct answer is “C”

Do you agree?

Who is responsible for the performance of the team you lead?

You AND your direct reports?

Are you sure?

Think about it.

Your direct reports ARE responsible for both:

1) They are responsible for their own performance
2) They are responsible for the performance of the team they lead

Your direct reports are accountable for both – for their own performance and for the performance of the team they lead.

Yes.

But what about the team YOU lead?

Who is the leader of the team you lead?

You are – aren’t you?

Do you truly want to lead and control the performance of the team you lead?

You want to be 100 per cent in control – don’t you?

How do you have more control over the performance of the team you lead?

Do you have total control if you share this responsibility?

Or do you have total control if you fully own 100 per cent this responsibility?

The answer is obvious – isn’t it?

IF you give your direct reports some of this responsibility – you cannot be 100 per cent in control.

IF you believe – and behave accordingly – that your direct reports share this responsibility with you – you will not have full control over such performance – and hence, you might fall (consciously or unconsciously) into the trap of playing the role of the victim.

To be fully in charge and to have full control over your own fate (so to speak), you must assume full responsibility for the performance of the team you lead, because such performance is the result of your own behavior (your behavior as the leader).

You are responsible for the performance of the team you lead.

Conclusion:

IF you want to build a high performance team – you must assume full responsibility for its performance – you and only you – period.

Feel free to re-send this "Leader Newsletter" to your colleagues.

And click here to see the entire "Leader Newsletter" Archive.

Most recent 12 "Leader Newsletter" issues:

Your Emotional Intelligence
Your Emotional Intelligence
Your main challenge within the team you lead
Are leaders born or made?
Improve your team’s performance - faster!
Your adjectives are your worst enemy
Job Design & Intrinsic Motivation
Communication Skill You Must NOT Lead Without
Performance Management Made Sexy
Are you optimizing your development activities?
Sustainable High Performance
5 values you must NOT lead without