Some might think that being responsible is the same thing as being accountable. But my later research suggest these are quite different mindsets. Being accountable means you are answerable and willing to accept the outcomes or results of a project or activity. But responsibility goes much further. It is the mindset that says, “I am the person who must make this happen,” whether it stems from your belief or because your job requires this of you, or there is some social force binding you to this obligation.
The responsible leader exhibits this behavior in multiple directions. It influences how the leader behaves with subordinates; but is equally strong in the relationship with an immediate boss ad with other departments in the organization. Finally, it encompasses an overall set of values and attitudes.
Leadership brings with it both opportunity and responsibility. No matter what the level of leadership or the type of organization, the opportunity of leadership is the power to make a difference. Only a leader has the license to focus vision, establish goals and implement actions that determine the future of the group.
The power of leadership, however, comes with a price. And that price is the responsibility to provide responsible leadership. You cannot be a true leader unless you respond to the opportunity and accept the responsibility to provide responsible leadership.
Unadulterated power does not make a leader;’ rather it spawns an environment ripe for despots and demagogues. Despots offer only the leadership of tyranny; demagogues exercise power by appealing to people’s emotion, instincts, and prejudices in a way that is manipulative and dangerous, simply having the power to make a difference does not quality one as a leader. It is power used responsibly that defines leadership. True power is the residue of responsible leadership.
Leadership is neither a rank nor a title. Leadership is a position with responsibility. It is not a position to be appointed by others. It is the people who give such position to deserving leaders.
Leadership is not by chance, but a choice. Leaders undertake their responsibilities voluntarily; leadership is not thrust upon them in this civilized world unlike in ancient times, when heirs were thrust upon. Whenever there is a crisis, the real leaders emerge to smoothen the situation, and whenever a ship sails into a storm, the real captains emerge to steer the ship successfully to shore. Therefore, leadership is less about position and more about disposition. Leadership is all about making things happen, walking the talk, achieving the objective and, above all, making a difference in the lives of others
Leadership is responsibility: Many people think that leadership is a badge of honor. In fact, it is a responsibility, where leaders undertake actions and keep pushing things forward. True leaders do not pass the buck, but take responsibility and move forward. They influence people, build teams, motivate them, and ultimately achieve the desired objectives. People often think that everybody can become a leader easily. However, the path is riddled with many challenges. Even if a minor mistake is made, people will not forgive their leader.
While taking responsibility, leaders are very aware of the consequences of decision-making and know that every decision will not go well. They have to accept moral responsibility for decisions that go wrong, and have to spread fame when group members for things well. Hence, there are several challenges involved in taking responsibility.
Some leaders are overly conscious of their leadership titles, such as Dean, CEO, Senior Manager, Managing Director, and so on. Leadership is a behavior that anyone can demonstrate at any time, without recourse to any organizational or hierarchical position or title. In fact, we are all leaders in some journey of our lives, where we rise to the occasion and demonstrate our hidden talents and potential. Leadership does not go by rank, position or title, leadership is not the privilege of a few individuals, as many people think.
People do not work under leaders who display their leadership position. They like to work under leaders who remain servants rather than bosses, who mentor rather than dictate, who guide rather than force others into doing the work, who are people-oriented rather than task-oriented, and finally, who adopt soft leadership rather than hard leadership.
Although M.K. Gandhi was referred to as Mahatma (Super soul) he disliked being called Mahatma Gandhi. For Mahatma Gandhi, the title was not important; freedom for India was more important. He moved with the mases, associated with them and served them like an ordinary an. Hence, top leaders do not believe in titles or positions, but they emphatically believe in undertaking responsibility and doing their jobs successfully.
Seeking a leadership role in any organization or group is a laudable objective. Using the power of leadership to define, seek and achieve a group objective can be both satisfying and rewarding. However, one must understand and never lose sight of the fact that the power of leadership always comes with the requirement to be a responsible leader. Power used for the sake of power is an abuse of leadership. In the end, the responsible use of power not only enhances power, it defines true leadership.
The idea of not only taking responsibility (as our responsible leader above does) but going beyond that and seeking it out would, unfortunately, blow the spec of many “leaders” in those roles today. The simple notion of looking for more areas to be responsible for is a completely foreign concept. The thing is, it’s a factor that truly differentiates outstanding leaders from their peers.
Here’s the notion; after you’ve taken responsibility for everything that occurs (or doesn’t occur) in your world, take a giant step back and figure out where else you can have a positive impact in your organization.? A huge benefit of this principle of seeking responsibility is that great leaders right their own houses and spread their influence into the darker recesses of the organization. When they seek responsibility, many times those responsibilities come in the form of larger roles or taking on work their immediate manager used to perform (ostensibly freeing that individual up to take on larger responsibilities themselves). The growth and advancement of both individuals and the organizations as a whole are embodied in their leadership principle. Seeking responsibility is good for all involved. You benefit because you’re building skills and expanding your capabilities. You also benefit because people around you see you’re dedicated to changing the organization for the better rather than simply being satisfied sitting around collecting your paycheck.
Your team benefits because they get to see a great example of true leadership that they’ll hopefully emulate. Your boss benefits because she can expand her own responsibilities and grow her skills while you take things off her plate to enable her to do so. The organization benefits because everyone is growing and seeking to do the right thing on a larger scale.
So please – never throw someone under the bus if they’re on your team. If thy make a mistake, you’re responsible for it. Chucking people under the bus saves you in the short term but you’ll soon find you’ve run out of bodies to chuck because they’re either all bus crushed or they’ve fled the scene to avoid being the next sacrifice to the bluebird gods. Second – look for ways to expand your responsibilities and do so for the good of the organization. Subordinate your interest to those of the greater good and you’ll do fantastic