Page 191 - Fearless Leadership

178 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

and listening to excuses, rather than illuminating the facts so we can cor-
rect the situation and hold each other accountable?
We have become so conditioned to excuses masquerading as legitimate
justification that we can no longer separate them from the facts. Not to
belabor the point but we have it backward again. Who cares if there is a
good excuse? A good excuse is not a result and never will be. Let’s move
on to solving the problem, stop wasting time bickering and defending what
we did, and learn what we need to do to correct the situation and prevent
it from occurring again.
We accept what appears to be sensible, justifiable, legitimate, or
rational. Our reasonableness is what gets us into trouble. We have lowered
the bar on what is acceptable behavior in the same way that we have
become seduced into paying for effort instead of paying for performance.
We have become complacent and reasonable to the point that we are not
mindful of the consequences. We accept “good enough,” take shortcuts,
and settle for less from others and ourselves.

Axiom of Fearless Leaders
Circumstances are not an excuse for the lack of results.

When leaders tacitly approve of an environment in which good excuses
are tolerated, the organization gets into trouble: (1) leaders make excuses
when they do not deliver on their commitments, and (2) they accept
excuses when others fail to fulfill their commitments.
Until we resolve to honor and fulfill commitments, we cannot hold
ourselves and others accountable. The “good excuse” approach is
indulged, and everyone is given a reprieve. “Too bad the business result
did not get produced, but circumstances were such that it just wasn’t pos-
sible” becomes the voice of reason inside the organization. People learn
to apply low standards to commitments, and even those who take com-
mitments seriously inadvertently drop their standards when no one else
is playing by the same rules.
The “good excuse” approach becomes the norm in the organization and
the substitute for performance and business results. The organizational
blind spot of tolerating “good enough” becomes firmly rooted in place,