Posts Tagged ‘taking responsibility as a leader’

In week six of The Apprentice UK 2011, the teams were given the challenge of making money from other people’s rubbish.  It was a tough task but despite this both teams turned in a profit and there was only a few pounds between the winning and losing team.

So what can we learn about business and leading from this episode?

Sometimes You Have To Take Risk

One of the teams gambled on the two appointments set up by Lord Sugar and offered to clear for free.  It was a big gamble and just paid off.  Nevertheless it showed the willingness to take risk, an essential ingredient in business and leadership.

Make Sure Everyone Has Clarity On Tasks

One of the team members on Zoe’s team Susan seemed to be lacking clarity on the commercial appointments.  Perhaps this was a communication breakdown.  As a leader you need to make sure everyone has clarity.

Admit Mistakes

We all make them from time to time and Zoe showed she was willing to admit her mistakes.  The reality is that if we are never making mistakes we are probably playing it safe.  The issue is not making mistakes, it is learning from them when we do and deciding what we would do differently.

Team Working Is Tough

We saw this in the boardroom where people on the losing team were arguing over who was the person who closed deals.  The natural tendency of most people is to focus on themselves.  The challenge is to get people seeing the benefits of team working as being more important than being the lone ranger.

Determination and Focus Produces Results

Zoe’s team looked dead in the water at the end of day one.  Yet they stepped into the second day determined and almost pulled it off.  Sometimes real determination and focus can make a huge difference to the results and success.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers.  To get access to his free audio e-course Leadership Success click here

Sign 1
• You look for scapegoats when things don’t go according to plan.

Sign 2

• You look for external factors to justify lack of delivery such as the economy, the competition, lack of funding, to name just a few.

Sign 3

• You hear yourself saying, “If only they would……”

Sign 4

• You are failing to recognise or accept that things need changing.

Sign 5

• You never say, “I am responsible and the buck stops with me”.

What else would you add to the list of 5?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here

As a leader or manager, you probably appreciate that first and foremost you are assessed on the results that you deliver.

While this might seem unfair at times, if you expect to get the rewards you need to be willing to get results.

So the big question is, are you really taking responsibility for the results that you deliver?

Taking responsibility means different things to different people. Some of the signs that you are taking responsibility for the results you deliver include:

1. You don’t look to justify your position

   Even the best leaders and managers struggle at times. At the same time, they don’t deny that they are not delivering or try to justify why they are not delivering.

2. You don’t blame external factors

   In tougher economic times, it is easy to blame things like the economy for the failure to deliver results. Good leaders and managers, by contrast, focus on adapting to the circumstances.

3. You don’t blame others on the team

   Blaming others on the team merely alienates you from the team. Don’t forget that your role is to get the best from others. That’s why you are a leader or manager.

4. You take balanced risks and learn

   No successful leader or manager achieved anything without taking some risks. The key when taking any type of risk is to learn from the setbacks.

The Bottom Line: As a leader or manager, you need to take responsibility for achieving results.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to achieve success and realize their professional potential through being highly effective leaders and managers. For more information and to sign up for his free audio e-course click here