Leadership Characteristics - What Every Leader Ought To Be Doing.

Out of all the leadership characteristics that are key to success

, this one lands at the top of the list as most important:

Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Actions and Celebrating Successes.

In over 6,800 position descriptions executives list Personal Accountability as crucial to superior performance.

"Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility...In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility." ---Michael Korda, Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster

It can be empowering to 'own up' to all the good you've created AND any and all the issues. When you're not spending any time covering up and defending problems, you can create faster forward movement toward solutions.

How Do You Know? How do you know if you're strong or not strong in this most important of all leadership characteristics?

I have noticed, and maybe you have seen it too, people who ace the leadership characteristics of taking personal responsibility and celebrating success, often believe they need to improve.

And, on the flip-side, people who aren't very good at taking responsibility often think they are!

This is what we call blind spots - which are strengths and weaknesses others can see, that we don't. That's why they're called blind spots! (By the way, we ALL have them!)

For example, Bill was a powerful and successful speaker, author, business owner and leader. (He passed away several years ago...R.I.P.) Once, in a training program he was leading he shared surprise after reviewing the results of his own leadership characteristics assessment,

"How can this assessment say I'm low in Personal Accountability? I'm a go-getter. I get things done! I think I always take responsibility."

Someone close to Bill heard his statements, took him aside and shared,

"Bill you ARE great - but you're just NOT strong in taking personal responsibility for things. Think about it - when something is late or not done right, what do you usually say?"

Bill laughed. "Okay, you are right. I don't always take responsibility for everything that happens. I guess I could get stronger in this area..."

Bill was a dynamo. He was loved by many and respected by all. He was an excellent leader already, and he also discovered that even he could build up his own leadership characteristics, to be an even greater leader, by improving in this area.

Can you relate? Are you blaming others more than you think?

Have you ever:

* Blamed traffic/truck drivers/slow drivers for being late to an appointment?

* Blamed your hectic schedule for the reason you've put on a couple of pounds?

* Blamed your spouse for your bad day?

People who always take responsibility on the other hand, would have handled these same situations like this:

* Admitted that they should have left a few minutes earlier for their appointment.

* Acknowledged that, while being stressed because of a busy time, they've been skipping the gym and eating junk food more often,

* Accepted that no one is to blame for their bad day, other than themselves.

Almost everyone you and I know can make some improvements in this area.

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely to be the one who dropped it."---Lou Holtz

Being strong in the taking personal responsibility area is one of the best stress management tools, too. That's because to fully realize that we are responsible for our own life, and to understand and embrace that we create our own reality, is more empowering, than feeling victim to others or circumstance.

That's because we can control our responses and actions. We cannot however, control others, at least not for very long.

If you want to test how strong you are in the area of taking responsibility for your actions and celebrating successes, be sure to check out our free quiz and complimentary workbook.

Use this simple but effective affirmation to remind yourself of the importance of this crucial leadership characteristics area:

"I am responsible for all of my thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions to all situations."

by: brekal677

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