Any person who aspires to leadership, be it in a family, business, church, social group or sports team must come face to face with the role of accepting responsibility and the risk and rewards that come from being RESPONSIBLE for moving the group towards predetermined goals.
Most young people don’t dream of leading because they want the responsibility. Instead they think of leadership as higher rates of pay, public praise and perks. But those benefits are largely illusions and leaders who chase those forms of reward as the first fruit of leadership will end up making unhealthy trade-offs. Trade-offs that lead to potentially corrupting decisions such as making decisions to receive short term praise, taking more than your fair share of profits, and using power to create comfort first for yourself rather than for the greater good.
To be responsible means that you are answerable and accountable.
Those who aspire to be leaders who lead for greater social good need to accept responsibility for the joy of seeing positive things happen. And because they are called and gifted to lead.
The benefits of responsibility? Well, here are a few things that I believe accepting responsibility for a team allows you to do:
1. You have the right to ask questions, any question, regarding the management and function of your team. Amazingly, may times people challenge the right of the “Responsible” person to question what is happening and why. Nevertheless, if you are responsible for the outcome, you have the freedom to ask.
2. You have the right to try to influence outcomes alone the lines of your vision. Responsibility without authority just doesn’t work. If you’re going to be the responsible person over a project you must have the authority to have input that will control the outcome.
3. You have the right to delegate. Accepting responsibility doesn’t necessitate you doing all the tasks. It only requires that you accept the outcomes even if you didn’t perform each task personally.
4. Responsibility allows you some freedoms in exchange for the burden you accept. Leaders must use you their time wisely, both to stay fresh, but also to stay flexible to respond to crisis’ that may arise in the area of their responsibility.
DC
I enjoyed that Dave. It is a scary thing for some people to take risks. It makes them volnerable and makes them very uncomfortable. It is in those times that we rely on the Lord to sustain us, and see us through.
You make some very valid points in your 3 rights and 1 freedom..and flexibility.
In many ways
leading and coaching are very similar, the coach doesn’t go out on the field, but does set up the plays and expects his/her directions to be followed. Players can do many things within their area of expertise, but ultimately the coach has the final responsibility for the outcome.. In many sporting events we say that coaching was the difference in winning or loosing.. Leaders are usually out front, showing how its done through actions and attitude. The team carries out the directions of the coach much the same way an organization responds to the direction of its leader..
The best leaders are “True to themselves”, what you see is what you get.. Some are tough, some are patient teachers, others are aloof, some are mirco managers.. but the good leaders are predictable..because they are not trying to be something they are not..They set goals for the organization .they reward outstanding behavior, are good finders, but are not afraid to be honest about repremanding bad behavior..
I appreciate your writing on Responsibility, Risk and Reward; I also am in agreement with the four points that you mentioned in the writing.
This is a right-on message. We can never delegate responsibility. Thanks, David…