I want to talk with you today about ownership. Maybe you have your own business or maybe you want to. You could even work for someone else right now. But learning about “ownership” can determine success or failure in any team setting.
This reminds of a cute little comic that used to be in the Sunday paper about a group of young kids. And whenever something got broken or dirty or spilled, two invisible pranksters always got the blame: “Not-me!” and “I-dunno!” And, I see something very similar happen in business.
Whenever something bad happens, others are always looking for someone to blame. And let’s be honest, while there are most certainly different degrees of blame, rarely does 100% of the fault fall just on ONE person!
This becomes even more critical if you are the owner. You’re at the top of your business food chain and just like Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here” so you never have the luxury of pinning the final blame on someone else. When the team fails, the ultimate responsibility is yours… no matter what.
You might be thinking, “Of course, Dani, I know that.” But are you really accepting responsibility? Or, have you substituted “it’s not my fault” excuses for both yourself and your team? Just like those little kids in the comics, you might not be as blame-free as you’d like to think.
Let me ask if you’ve ever repeated one of these well-planned deceptions: “Business was going good, but what with the economy…”or “I want to start my own business, but it’s just too risky right now…” or “We’re all really doing the best we can, under the circumstances…”
Seriously? While there honestly might be legitimate REASONS your business has stopped growing so quickly or you’re waiting to start your own venture, the final blame still rests on you. There is no way around it… the buck stops at your office!
And now’s the time to face reality: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ECONOMY! It’s about you. You may simply lack the specific knowledge or proper skill sets to succeed in these particular economic conditions.
See what I mean? Plenty of folks are succeeding, starting new businesses and making millions of dollars. You’ve got to face the truth, and while taking the blame might hurt your ego momentarily, it will help your leadership skills and your business growth in the long run.
True leadership comes from figuring out what works, accepting it when something doesn’t work and then equipping yourself with a better way to do things. As long as you’re giving in to your ego and shifting the blame onto someone or something else, you are stunting your business growth and income.
It’s time to put a stop to the excuses and just own up. Hey, it’s not just you, everybody makes mistakes and I’m living testimony to that! Let the buck stop HERE, today, and stop looking for a scapegoat or hiding from past mistakes. Just say, “it all stops here and now with me” and THEN you are free to let go of all that “excuse” baggage and focus on moving toward success!
Leave your comments for me below on today’s post, and be sure to “Like” and “Share” these thoughts within your network. And, speaking of networks, tomorrow night is our Spiritual Equipping Broadcast at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT, so come join us and let’s get through this week strong, together.
In great faith,
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