Page 121 - Fearless Leadership

108 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

series of difficult interviews, company leaders never once defended,
justified, or rationalized what happened. Instead, they expressed
their sympathy and compassion, and they took accountability.
The CEO responded brilliantly to the media and said, “We deeply
regret what has happened, and we offer our sympathy to the families
and community. As a company, we are accountable for your safety—
for the safety of our customers. The investigation will identify what and
who is responsible for the malfunction, but regardless of what is dis-
covered, we care about our community and you.”

The Result. There were no angry phone calls, letters to the editor,
or public backlash. A remarkable thing happened: as company lead-
ers took accountability, there was a resurgence of community spirit
and partnership. One customer commented, “It took guts to do what
the company leaders did. They took responsibility at a time when all
the facts were not in. This is something we can all learn from.”

Lesson Learned. You can always take accountability (not blame) for
a situation, even when you do not have all the information. Taking
accountability is an act of courage that demonstrates your caring for
people and your willingness to “be big” in a difficult situation.

Victim mentality cannot exist inside an environment of 100% account-
ability; there is nothing to feed it and keep it alive. When leaders act as
owners, thinking and behavior change, and the question becomes “How
can we accept accountability?” Just as the leaders took accountability—
and not blame—in a community crisis, companies can operate in the same
way. Accountability is not blame or shame; it is acting as an owner and
taking a stand.

YOU ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT, BUT YOU CREATE WHAT
YOU BELIEVE
Leaders tend to be clearer about what they want than what they believe.
It’s easy to identify goals and aspirations: “I want to be rich,” or “I want to
be successful.” But when we ask leaders what they believe, they are at a
loss. Beliefs operate below the surface of conscious awareness where they
influence how we behave. Examples of widespread beliefs are “Leaders