Credit Where Credit Is Due

This week we have been focusing what I believe to be the four top qualities of a leader.

Today, we will discuss the concept of giving credit and accepting responsibility.

One of the wonderful and unexpected benefits of what I do now involves the connection that I am making with so many of you out there.  I absolutely love reading the things that those of you in sales leadership post about the fantastic accomplishments of your team.  When you take the time to name those on your team who have worked hard and are also specific in listing out their accomplishments – you are doing great things to build the chemistry and success of your team.  You are setting the finest example of leadership. I thank you for what that means to me as well as to your teams.

Leaders find a way to give credit for their successes to their teams.  They know that any success they enjoy is due to the hard work and accomplishments of those in their charge.  When accolades come their way – in almost all cases you see that the first sentence they utter involves giving credit to their team for the work they have done.

The majority of the awards that I have ever given to the sales leaders on my team were presented in what some have told me was a very unusual way.  I didn’t bring the sales manager up to receive their award.  Instead, I read the accomplishments of the team, and then I asked the sales leader to come up on the stage to accept the award for their team.

Leaders find a way to give credit for the successes to their team.  Leaders also always accept the responsibility for any lack of success on their team as well.

The truth about any team is that some days are wins – and some days are losses.  That is just the nature of the beast.  It is the responsibility of the leader to minimize the losses by selecting and recruiting great people for their team; by equipping those people to succeed at the job and then empowering them to do so.  They have to work very hard on their leadership skill set and they must give credit to their team for their success.

And when the day is done – win, lose or draw – the responsibility for the outcome rests squarely on the shoulders of the leader.

And for some strange reason – we wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂

Help build the tribe.  Please share the post with your circle of influence. 🙂

QUESTION:

Who are the leaders that you are raising up right now?