Leaders have to be accountable to themselves and to their staff and vendors. Are you a responsible leader? By that I mean, do you take responsibility for your actions or even the actions of your staff? If a staff member makes a mistake your option is to let the customer know, “my employee really messed up” or you can say, “I’m really sorry about that, let me see what I can do to make it right.”
This isn’t to say you don’t have a conversation with the employee in question, but you do want to be the one to shoulder responsibility — after all, at the end of the day, it IS your business. Everything that happens in it, is your responsibility — good, bad or indifferent.
Are You A Responsible Leader?
An entrepreneur can’t work with a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude. An entrepreneur needs to be accountable to clients, staff and at the end of the day him- or herself.
How can you take steps to be responsible?
- Are you clear in your own actions
- Do your deeds speak to the company’s mission and vision
- When you have, or your employees have, promised a deliverable, is the deadline met?
- What is your process for follow up and follow through? Does the staff know what your process is?
- If you’ve made a mistake do you own up to it? If an employee calls you on a mistake, can you admit to your error and thank him or her for bringing it up to you?
Today’s consumers and even today’s employees have so many options — from whom to buy and with whom to work. You need to make certain you are above board, easy to work with and willing to take responsibility for your actions.
If you’re a new business owner, even if you’re a solopreneur, do you struggle with leading with integrity and with a mission and vision of which you’re proud. If you’re new to business ownership and want to work with a business coach or find an accountability group with whom to interact, reach out to us.