Leadership Tips – Five Excuses Real Leaders Never Use
By Tom O’Dea
Are you a real leader? Not if you’ve ever tried to put one of these over on someone.
1. It’s not my fault.
Oh yes it is. The leader steps up to accountability for whatever happens on his or her watch. Did the President personally screw up the response efforts to Hurricane Katrina? No, but it was his fault. That was his team that dropped the ball.
2. Hey, I didn’t hire so and so.
You thought you had me on this one, didn’t you? After all, when you inherit a job with people in place, you can’t be responsible for everything they do, right? You’re supposed to be responsible for your own team.
Correct, and unless and until you make some changes, the team you inherit is your own team. Don’t waste time making changes if they are needed. And don’t hesitate for a second when it’s time to support the people on your team, whether you hired them or not.
3. We had a miscommunication around expectations.
This is one of the most over used excuses in the book. Good leaders know the importance of clear communications, and they know how to test understanding early on in any program or project to make sure people are communicating effectively. What this really means is that we didn’t start managing this effort until it was already too late.
4. I don’t have enough resources to get the job done.
Staffing levels, budgets, required technology are all things that get negotiated going into a job or a project. Once the starting bell has rung, you are on the line. Do surprises occur? Yes, and when they do the leader does not make excuses. He or she clearly and effectively outlines how the game has changed, and engages all parties needed to figure out how to respond.
5. I wanted to (hire/fire/approve/disapprove/start/stop) that one, but my boss made the final decision.
Then you’re not the leader, are you? Leaders have bosses too. Even CEO’s have to answer to a Board. But when you turn around to those who view YOU as the leader, you have to own every decision.
Leaders and excuses? They really don’t go together.
The organization that isn’t changing is probably dying. For more information about managing change and developing leaders, please visit www.thomasjodea.com.
Tom O’Dea has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in companies ranging from startups to multi billion dollar corporations.
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