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Everyone makes mistakes. In the world of business there is ample opportunity to make bad decisions. Even more so when one is a leader of an organization and has people making decisions on his behalf. Bad decisions are unavoidable. They are going to happen. The questions becomes, how do we respond to them.
Does the leader take responsibility for the decisions of his subordinates? Does the leader make the subordinate bear the brunt of the responsibility? Does the leader share the responsibility?
As early as 2004 General Motors identified a failure in its ignition systems, but chose to do two things. It did not fix the problem because it would take too long and cost too much, and it did not disclose the potentially fatal flaw. As a result organizational leadership spent the next ten years hiding the defect, denying the defect existed, and fighting a movement to recall all makes and models affected by the defect. Ultimately, GM lost and in 2014 ended up recalling over 8 million vehicles having the defective ignition switch and is fined $35 million by the NHTSA.
What is the social consequence? I believe it is a long term degradation of the trust relationship. Not just with the offending department, agency, or company, but in the ability of individuals to enter into a trust relationship with anyone, anything, anytime. To take a military truism and apply it to the private sector, “A leader is responsible for everything that happens, or fails to happen during his tenure with an organization.”
How can we prevent this from happening? By individuals not making mistakes? Since my thoughts on this subject started off with the statement we all make mistakes, this is not a viable alternative. What we have to do is learn to stand up and take responsibility for our mistakes, even if that means we will take the full consequence for the mistake. Taking responsibility and taking the consequence are two separate actions.
Leaders must take responsibility for decisions made by subordinate leaders because the leader is generally the one who is responsible for that person being in that position. They must be prepared to accept their personal consequences and to mete out the natural consequences to the subordinate leader.
Does the leader take responsibility for the decisions of his subordinates? Does the leader make the subordinate bear the brunt of the responsibility? Does the leader share the responsibility?
As early as 2004 General Motors identified a failure in its ignition systems, but chose to do two things. It did not fix the problem because it would take too long and cost too much, and it did not disclose the potentially fatal flaw. As a result organizational leadership spent the next ten years hiding the defect, denying the defect existed, and fighting a movement to recall all makes and models affected by the defect. Ultimately, GM lost and in 2014 ended up recalling over 8 million vehicles having the defective ignition switch and is fined $35 million by the NHTSA.
What is the social consequence? I believe it is a long term degradation of the trust relationship. Not just with the offending department, agency, or company, but in the ability of individuals to enter into a trust relationship with anyone, anything, anytime. To take a military truism and apply it to the private sector, “A leader is responsible for everything that happens, or fails to happen during his tenure with an organization.”
How can we prevent this from happening? By individuals not making mistakes? Since my thoughts on this subject started off with the statement we all make mistakes, this is not a viable alternative. What we have to do is learn to stand up and take responsibility for our mistakes, even if that means we will take the full consequence for the mistake. Taking responsibility and taking the consequence are two separate actions.
Leaders must take responsibility for decisions made by subordinate leaders because the leader is generally the one who is responsible for that person being in that position. They must be prepared to accept their personal consequences and to mete out the natural consequences to the subordinate leader.
Posted in these groups: 
Leadership
Leadership
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 6
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In short, if you are a leader and you err, own it.
If a subordinate errs, hold them accountable, teach them to own it, own it yourself, and use it as an opportunity to work together as a team to improve it and reduce future occurrences.
If a superior errs, work to contain the consequences, offer up suggestions to reduce future occurrences, and look for ways to head these problems off at the pass at your level.
Your Soldiers, peers, and leaders will appreciate your actions and hold you in high esteem.
If a subordinate errs, hold them accountable, teach them to own it, own it yourself, and use it as an opportunity to work together as a team to improve it and reduce future occurrences.
If a superior errs, work to contain the consequences, offer up suggestions to reduce future occurrences, and look for ways to head these problems off at the pass at your level.
Your Soldiers, peers, and leaders will appreciate your actions and hold you in high esteem.
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1SG Mark Colomb What you are saying is the definition of a good leader. Someone who takes responsibility for everyone under them. I am going to refer to the Air Force Core Values on this. For each applies to leadership both, in and out of the service. Good leaders always show integrity. Integrity breeds respect both up and down the chain. Excellence in what we do is not just a motto for the young who are working on the line. This also applies to leadership. Leaders should aspire to be the best they can to the people they lead. Not only does this also encourage respect but it gets your people buy in, and if you up hold the same strict quality controls on yourself, as you do your followers. You will get more people to buy in to your leadership. Finally Service Before Self. Again one that works on both sides, civilian and military. If you believe in what you do, support it, give it all you got, you are not only showing your people the type of leadership to look up to, but you are giving the people above you a reason to trust you more. In your job, if you are not happy, it shows. No matter how good an actor you may be, if you don't like what you are doing, people know. You have to be fully committed to do your work at the highest level, to be considered a good leader.
All of that, if someone makes a mistake. If something bad happens. If falls on the leader to shoulder the responsibility, Right the wrong and move forward. Only then will your people believe in you. For in that way, you have stood behind them, shown your integrity, and proven that excellence is not only in taking credit for the good, but being strong enough to take the blame for the bad.
All of that, if someone makes a mistake. If something bad happens. If falls on the leader to shoulder the responsibility, Right the wrong and move forward. Only then will your people believe in you. For in that way, you have stood behind them, shown your integrity, and proven that excellence is not only in taking credit for the good, but being strong enough to take the blame for the bad.
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Thanks for the comments. The purpose of this post was not to garner agreement, rather to have each of us as a leader reflect on our value of integrity when it comes to owning our mistakes. I purposely used a private sector business example to avoid playing "top that lie."
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