The news is filled with stories of people who blame their troubles on others. In some cases that may be appropriate, but in general, we are responsible and accountable for the things we do, good or bad. In business we see it a lot when a person or selected for something over others. It’s never easy to get passed over for anything – be it in business or politics, but when it’s a fair and honest decision, the key take away is to learn from it. Managers and other decision makers should have good reasons for their decisions and always be willing and able to explain them. This principle of explaining “why” is not as easy as it sounds – decision makers should know the rules or policies or criteria, follow them, and make their decisions as if they’d have to explain them in public. If they can’t or won’t then they probably didn’t make them in good faith, and nobody should believe or respect them. And if the decision is about you: listen and learn from it rather than sulk around feeling like a victim. These actions are the basis of integrity, and we need that at all times (maybe now more than ever). Don’t be a product of your circumstances; be responsible and accountable for your decisions and actions today.
Stephen Covey (1932 – 2012): American educator, author, businessman, keynote speaker and author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”
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