Page 143 - Fearless Leadership

130 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

High performance attacks the victim mindset. It takes courage;
and in this case, Carson, the team leader, took a strong stand and
intervened in the conversation: “Safety is the job of every person in
this room. Each person in this room is the owner of safety—so you can
add that to your title.” At first the group complied but they had not
bought in, so we asked: “What is stopping you from taking 100%
accountability for safety as a team?” One team member said, “How
can we do our job and Randy’s job too?” “As a group you’ve said that
you want to be a high performance team and this is not how a high
performance team behaves,” I responded. “So what are we supposed
to do,” asked a team member. Carson jumped in and said, “Think
about what would happen if Randy fails in his job? What would you
do then?” “Well, if Randy fails,” said another team member, “then we
all fail. We need one another to succeed. That’s what it means to stand
for the success of one another.” As a result of this dialogue, the team
recognized that they had not been behaving as owners of safety.

Lesson Learned. Being an owner means taking 100% accountabil-
ity for the “whole,” and not hiding behind the “parts.” Carson’s team
transformed from operating as individuals within their own roles and
responsibilities to standing for one another and operating as a team.
Carson remained steadfast in his stand that safety is everyone’s job,
and not surprisingly, the safety record of the mine steadily improved
and was a demonstration of the commitment of the team. Organi-
zations that do what it takes to build a high performance culture are
the companies that successfully achieve and maintain a competi-
tive edge.

Choice 3: You Must Have the Courage to Openly
Discuss Your Blind Spots
It is exhausting to be with leaders who deny they have blind spots, are
unwilling to be coached, or who cover up their own shortcomings and mis-
takes. Without a doubt, it is uncomfortable to discuss mistakes and break-
downs, but when you talk openly about your blind spots and take
accountability for your impact, you instantly transform a tense and closed
environment into a constructive and safe environment. When leaders are