7 Ways to Take Responsibility as a Leader and Inspire Your Team

All successful leaders have one thing in common. It’s their willingness to take responsibility as a leader for their continued personal and professional growth.

Incidentally, writer Brian Tracy in his book ‘The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success’, also talks about how taking responsibility for what happens in one’s personal and professional life is important for success and growth. He refers to it as the ‘law of responsibility’.

But how can one become a responsible leader? By taking accountability and responsibility for one’s actions and decisions. Apart from that, there are other ways to take responsibility as a leader.

7 Ways to Take Responsibility as a Leader

Who are responsible leaders? Responsible leaders strive to do better than yesterday for personal and professional growth. They also push their team members to be more dedicated and aware of the work they are supposed to do in the organization.

Organizations of all sizes need responsible leaders to produce good and high-quality work.  Therefore, let’s take a look at a few ways through which leaders can take responsibility.

1# Accountability

Responsible leaders take accountability for their actions. Instead of blaming others, they identify the problem and try to fix it. Therefore, to become responsible leaders professionals must remember to take accountability for actions and stop blaming others for their mistakes.

As a leader, one is also responsible for the team’s actions. So, as soon as the leader realizes someone from the team has made a mistake, he/she addresses it and takes the necessary steps to fix it.

Also, a leader identifies the people or factors that contributed to the issue and ensures the mistake is not repeated.

2# Provide Full Support to The Team

Responsible leaders check on their team from time to time. They identify if their team members have problems and offer the support and guidance required to solve the problem. There are different ways in which leaders can support their teams. Here are some:

1. Support the team by reviewing their work frequently. You can arrange regular progress meetings to understand how team members are progressing and see if they need any assistance.
2. Communicate the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Because if people are unsure of what they are responsible for, there is great potential for conflict and confusion.
3. Support your team by setting performance benchmarks and rewarding team members for fulfilling them. This way you can motivate your team members to perform better.
4. Always be available for the team. Whenever required arrange a one-on-one meeting with the team members to see that everything is on track, identify any issues they are facing, and more.

3# Transparent Conversation

A responsible leader knows that transparent communication is the key to a positive work environment. So, they connect with the team members and give them all details about different projects, team conflicts, potential roadblocks in project scope, and vendor meetings. Additionally, responsible leaders have open communication with their team members. That allows team members to reach out to them (leaders) and express their thoughts openly.

Remember that having transparent conversations can build unshakable trust between leaders and their team members. It can also boost productivity and positive work relationship.

4# Be Respectful of Everyone’s Views and Perspectives

It rarely happens that everyone on the team agrees on something. Therefore, a leader must respect differences of opinion and encourage team members to do so. This helps avoid conflicts in the team and ensures everyone’s perspective is respected.

5# Offer Solutions Whenever Needed

One of the best ways to take responsibility as a leader is by putting your problem-solving skills to offer solutions to complex business problems.  A leader can create strategies, ask the right questions, or simply support the team members. This can be a great team-building activity, strengthening your bond with your team members.

6# Provide Adequate Resources

Another way a leader can take responsibility is by providing adequate resources the team requires to complete a task or project. It means giving them frequent training to increase productivity and efficiency, tools and software to access the necessary information required for completing complex tasks, setting them up with coaches for skill development, or enrolling them in upskilling courses.

Whatever it be, a responsible leader takes adequate steps to ensure their team members are successful and productive.

7# Active Participation in Projects

A responsible leader must actively participate in all projects. Apart from delegating and monitoring, responsible leaders can take up small tasks that can be completed quickly. No matter the size of the project or how long it takes to complete the project, a leader must always be a part of the project in any way they can.

How Can You Foster a Culture of Responsibility in Your Organization?

In a company where leaders take responsibility for their actions, targets are met, there’s high productivity and efficiency, employees are satisfied, and resources are used judiciously. If you wish to develop a culture of responsibility in your organization, follow these effective ways.

1. Push decision-making to leaders. This makes them feel responsible and accountable for the success or failure of an organization.
2. Encourage a sense of ownership by involving leaders in all processes. Because when people are more involved, they’ll feel more ownership over their work and subsequently become more responsible.
3. Reward leaders that take responsibility by stepping up. The reward will encourage them to become more responsible leaders.

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