Now, I need to fix this so it happens again. It was up to me to make sure you know the parameters we have to work within and why some decisions have got to be run through me. You know more about this business than I ever will. You are an extremely skilled and knowledgeable super-intendent. It’s my fault because I obviously wasn’t as clear as I should have been in explaining why we have these procedures in place and how not following them can cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you talk to him, you need to start the conversation like this: ‘Our team made a mistake and it’s my fault. And you have to believe that, because it’s true. You are in charge, so the fact that he didn’t follow procedure is your fault. As the senior man, I am responsible for every action that takes place on the battlefield.

I am responsible for the entire operation. “There is only one person to blame for this: me. They all blame everyone else, and inevitably the team becomes ineffective and unable to properly execute a plan. When a bad leader walks into a debrief and blames everyone else, that attitude gets picked by subordinates and team member, who then follow suit. Take ownership of failures, seek guidance on how to improve, and figure out a way to overcome challenges on the next iteration. If the enemy surprised us and hit us where we hadn’t expected, then I hadn’t thought through all the possibilities. If one of my machine gunners engaged targets outside of his field of fire, then I had not ensured he understood where his field of fire was. If a supporting unit didn’t do what we needed it to do, then I hadn’t given clear instructions. The leader is truly and ultimately responsible for everything. “There are no bad units, only bad officers.” - US ArmyĪbsolute ownership - not just of those things for which you are responsible, but for everything that impacts your mission. When a strong leader is temporarily removed from a team, performance continues to improve. The leader’s attitude sets the tone for the entire team. Whether a team succeeds or fails is all up to the leader.

Leadership is the single biggest factor in any team’s performance. There are no bad teams, only bad leaders: But to implement real change, to drive people to accomplish something truly complex or difficult or dangerous - you can’t make people do these things. That might be a temporary solution for a simple task. The direct responsibility of a leader includes getting people to listen, support, and execute plans.

Jocko willink accountability