Anyone who enjoys football like I do and is a DC native has most likely noticed that the Washington Redskins are leaving something to be desired this football season (I believe that something desired is called wins). Quarterback Robert Griffin III has taken a lot of heat recently for both his actions on the field and his words off the field. After last Sunday’s devastating game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Griffin hinted that the play-calling of coach Mike Shanahan and of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan were off the mark; teammate Santana Moss publicly responded that Griffin should hold himself more accountable for the results of the game.
“As a leader, when you know you’re a leader you don’t have to tell people that you’re a leader, one,” Moss added “Two, as a leader you understand that if you’re involved in the situation, whether you’re the receiver, the quarterback, the guys making the tackle, whoever, regardless of the outcome, good or bad, you have to at some point stand up and say, ‘Me’ or ‘I’.”
With great power certainly comes great responsibility. I’ll nix the football talk here and cut to the chase; how often have you blamed someone or something else for your own failure? Do you ‘look in the mirror’ and take responsibility for the role you played or do you ‘look out the window’ to blame others? Moss’ statement can apply to a leader from any field, from the military to education, and to tasks as big as passing legislature or as small as a 10th grade group science project. The message remains clear that a true leader knows how to take ownership over defeat, reflect and learn from it, and then move on to tackle the next opportunity. Be that leader!
Steps for Increasing Your Personal Accountability:
1. Be honest with yourself and others.
2. Under-commit and over-deliver.
3. Reflect daily and make don’t be afraid to make changes.
~Michelle, Chief Program Officer