Personal responsibility; the key to success.
Something my parents taught me from a young age was to always take responsibility for my actions; whether those were mistakes or successes.
Looking back over my career and the jobs I have had, I can think of many times when my ability to take ownership of my actions has actually given me the advantage and helped me excel. Whereas those times when I tried blaming or pawning off my mistakes, I saw first hand the ramifications of my pride and dishonesty.
Now as a leader I am not only taking ownership of myself, but also for the actions of my employees. When an employee is struggling with a concept, it is my responsibility to provide them with the resources they need to succeed. If one were to make a mistake, I as a leader must take ownership of that and dissect where I may have failed in communicating. This will not only build trustworthy relationships among my team, but also give them an opportunity to prove themselves as coachable.
Making mistakes is inevitable, but how you respond to making one is paramount.
The world is full of mediocre people who make too many of the same mistakes over and over–making them dispensable. The world, however, is not full of many people who make mistakes and are willing to learn from them–making them invaluable. You choose your worth as an employee or as a leader, whether you sit at a cubicle or at a large desk on the 10th floor with a view.
Owning up to your mistakes and being able to accept corrective criticism will not only
add tremendous value to your employment, but also to your character.