Regardless of the size of a team or organization, nearly every leader expects people to step up and take 100% responsibility—for their own career, for their engagement, for driving innovation–on and on the list goes. However, few leaders consider what they need to do to help foster an environment where people take responsibility within their teams. If you want people to step up, here are four things you as a leader can do.
1. Be Transparent
Be transparent in the information you provide to team members. A great example of the power of transparency in business comes from Harley Davidson. Years ago, when the company nearly went out of business, leadership decided to share the full picture and the numbers (both good and bad) with all of their employees. When employees saw the same information that their leaders had known for years, they all stepped up and took responsibility for change.
2. Show Trust
Trust your team members to do what they do best without constant oversight and micromanagement. In addition, trust them to take day-to-day actions without needing permission. If you want employees to embrace 100% responsibility, then they must have the authority to act. Delta Airlines and The Four Seasons are two brands who have demonstrated how well this strategy works. Both companies give employees leeway to act in the moment and bend rules as they see fit (e.g., to waive fees or penalties if they think it is in the best interest of customer loyalty). This result breeds responsibility as well as job satisfaction.
3. Provide Seats at the Table
Unsurprisingly, people act more responsibly when they feel they had input in making the decisions in the first place. Leaders who want a workplace with 100% responsibility need to lean toward giving team members a seat at the table and a voice in decision making. As an example, one company needed to cut back expenses during the pandemic. They brought this issue to their employees, openly asking for their ideas on how to reduce expenses by twenty percent. Even though not everyone was happy with the final decisions, all of them weighed in and had a significant say in the best way forward. As a result, all team members felt like reducing expenses was their problem and not just an issue for the company and its leadership.
4. Be a Role Model
As a leader, you cannot foster responsibility if you are not living it yourself. What does it look like to embody 100% responsibility? First and most importantly, focus on your role in the problem and not what others need to do. Next, turn your attention to what you can control rather than on external factors that are beyond your control. Be a role model of responsibility-taking by regularly asking for feedback and demonstrating genuine openness to feedback (rather than becoming defensive or maintaining the status quo). You will inspire others to take responsibility when you admit your own mistakes and reward/praise others for their well-intentioned misses.
How Can Innolect Help?
If you want to become a more effective leader and foster 100% responsibility in yourself and your teams, these are four tried-and-true approaches for reaching that goal. At Innolect, we help build the foundation for you to bring your best self to work, and we thrive on building high-integrity workplaces. The bottom line? We are committed to helping leaders develop and grow themselves, their teams and their organizations. Learn more about our approaches HERE.
To set up a consultation or training, contact us today. Additionally, our products and assessments help leaders develop the skills and capabilities needed to grow exponentially. Read our latest book: Ignite Your Imagination: 21 Ways to Learn.
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