MARCH 19, 2021
I hope you take the time to READ the above headline. Responsibility, Encourageability, (Not sure this is a word but we will go with it anyway), Accountability, and Duty are all great words to live by in anything that you do. As Steven Covey reminds us; “Accountability breeds Response-Ability.” In our first lesson with our Band of Brothers and Women of Worth, we are reminding people that YOU are 100% responsible for your life. All of these words are important because they are paramount in meeting life’s challenges.
Responsibilities: come in many forms. You are responsible for your actions (things in your control) and your words. If you say you will do something, DO IT! Why is it that many people thrive on responsibility while others just sit back and let others do it for them and take NO responsibility for their actions? If you have a positive VISION for your life, what are you doing to live out that vision? First you have to know your story. Where you come from. Your origin. Secondly; you need to find meaning for your life. WHY are you here? God put you here for a reason. Maybe it is to be a great athlete, a great business person, a great father/mother, or a great leader. Thirdly; What are you supposed to do? Make it something good and not something evil. Finally; Where are you going? Make sure you on a good path toward your goal. All of these take responsibility and accountability.
Encourageability: I have a huge amount of faith in people. People that I know and trust that will do great things with and for the entire organization and not just for themselves. (Remember, there is no “I” in team) Building something together (with excellence) is LOTS of fun. To see the lives we are able to affect brings this cowboy great joy in knowing that we are not only building a great business, but growing and improving the lives of the people on our team. What are YOU doing to encourage others on your team?
Accountability: We all have to be accountable to someone whether in our personal lives or our organizations. I enjoy using my own accountability systems to connect with other people. My style is one of trusting others who would help apply just enough healthy social pressure so that we can do that thing we said we would do. (Team) Nevertheless, the word accountability seems to always carry a hint of fault-finding, as though the sole purpose of accountability is to point out where we fail. Why not look for the GOOD in the situation (Amor Fati) and see where you might be able to succeed, together. If we choose to be responsible to someone or a team goal, it is up to each one of us to follow through in building with others a genuine partnership toward a goal. That is why doing something as a team is much more effective than trying to do it alone. This allows one to learn from others along with being accountable. Go looking and expecting others to be accountable along with you, so that you can succeed as a team. That is much more fun than just winning alone.
Duty: is a moral or legal obligation. Yes, a responsibility. Duty is a commitment or expectation to perform. (Why not add honor here as well!) Duty often requires sacrifice of self-interest. Are you doing things just for yourself or are you doing it for the team? (“Take one for the team”) Having a sense of duty is uplifting and will bring you and your team a spirit of wellness that often cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Don’t make duty a chore, a job, or a task. Make it fun. (Fun gets done) Laugh and smile your way through a “Duty” and you just might find that is what you were called to do all along. This is why I love our military. They learn that great sense of duty with their call to serve.
Remember, if we want to be happy and successful, we have to; be Responsible, (admit when you are wrong) Encourage others, hold ourselves and others accountable, and make it our Duty to serve. Go believe in yourself and others. It is the only way to build a great team.
Elevator Guy