There are so many ways we get in our own way. You might know a team member who regularly pipes up with, “We tried that 5 years ago and it didn’t work.” Maybe you have your own go-to excuse, like, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Of course, it never seems like an excuse at the time. One of the most recurrent a is, “That’s above my pay grade.” To me it’s only another version of “It’s not my job.”
True leadership demands the character to demonstrate personal responsibility for one’s actions, and the courage to hold others accountable for theirs. Excuses attempt to conceal personal or professional insecurities, laziness, and/or lack of ability. They accomplish nothing but to distract, dilute, and deceive. It was Benjamin Franklin who said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
The word “excuse” is most commonly defined as: a reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense. History’s greatest leaders have always fostered cultures of commitment, trust, and performance, where action is valued over rhetoric. Leaders who issue or accept excuses are complicit to muting performance and fueling mediocrity.
The problem we face as a society is we live in a time where he or she with the best excuses wins. Excuses have become the rule, and performance has become the exception.
Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged, people born into war-torn impoverished backgrounds, who could have made excuses, but who instead chose a different path – they chose to overcome the odds and succeed.
John Wooden said, “Never make excuses. Your friends won’t accept them and your foes won’t believe them.” The great thing about performance is it obviates the necessity of an explanation. In these troubled times inept leaders blame their business woes on the economy, while skilled leaders find a way to thrive. Challenges and setbacks are opportunities for growth and development, not permission space for rationalizations and justifications. The best leaders not only understand this, they ensure the entirety of their organization practices it.
DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN A TRAGEDY OF ERRORS
Being a leader comes with a host of responsibilities, including handling workplace issues and setting a good example. You’re often held to high expectations as the person in charge, and managing an entire team of people can be intimidating. However, no one is perfect; there is always room to learn and grow, and to help your employees do the same.
Lacking humility : Holding a position of power may be good for your ego, but it’s important that you and your employees know you’re not above your shortcomings. Leaders must not be afraid to recognize their own failures, We all fall down at some point, but what really matters is the way we pick ourselves up and learn from our mistakes. This is what helps us grow and makes us stronger. When employees recognize that failure is natural, even for leaders, they’ll feel more open-minded and confident.
REAL LEADERS DON’T SAY, “IT’S NOT MY JOB”
Points to check yourself :
- Has the person done everything within their power to improve the situation? Do they have the skills? If not, are you coaching them on that? What would “cut him some slack” look like?
- Does the person bringing the issue to you have the authority to change the situation? Do you? Who does? Who should escalate it?
- Are you listening deeply and with discernment? Are you dialing in how long this has been going on? How is this affecting the person’s health? What is the state of this person’s productivity?
- Does this person typically have problems like this? An employee may have a reputation for exaggeration or creating drama. That doesn’t mean the situation isn’t real this time. It deserves some level of investigation.
- What is your part? Are you avoiding conflict? Are you pushing it back to the employee because it’s sticky? Be honest with yourself.
IT IS YOUR JOB — A REAL LEADER RISES TO THE OCCASION
A real leader gets the full picture of the situation. A real leader understands the well-being of employees has a direct effect on the success of the work. A real leader takes the challenge even when the situation is ugly. A real leader doesn’t have the luxury of making excuses.