This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Security Business magazine. When sharing, don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter.
Growing up as the son of a collegiate coach, I often heard my dad say: “When the team wins, it is because the players played well. When we lose, it is always the coach’s fault.”
As a kid who didn’t fully understand the complexities of leadership, I used to think of that as a statement about how hard it is to be a coach. I thought my dad was complaining about being blamed for losses, and not getting credit for winning.
As I grew up and began to take on leadership roles of my own, I realized it wasn’t a complaint; instead, it was a statement he lived by and instilled in those he mentored. It was a message of accountability and lifting others up. He was telling others that when his team lost, he would shoulder the load, and when they won, they would take the recognition for a job well done.
I heard the same message this weekend from the coach of my favorite college football team. After a poorly played game, his first comment to the press was: “I didn’t do a good job preparing my team for this game.” He made no comments to the media or public about the poor blocking, the dropped passes, or blown coverage. He pointed out the great things his players and assistant coaches did and reiterated the he failed.
This is not to say that some lessons weren’t taught, and feedback wasn’t given directly to the players in private, but as the leader of the team, he was accountable for their shortcomings in the public eye.
How to Be Accountable
How do leaders demonstrate accountability? Accountability is not self-deprecation, but rather self-awareness. Do not confuse “taking one for the team” with being accountable for the team.
To me, the former still implies that you are assuming the blame even though you know it is meant for “the team.”
If you feel you are covering for someone else’s mistakes, you are not being accountable. Accountability requires an introspective look at what you could have done better. It is the assumption first, and above all, that your improvement is paramount to the success of others.
Accountability is one of the heaviest loads a manager must shoulder. As a business leader, your job is to remove roadblocks and obstacles to enable your team members to be successful in their roles. As a coach, the job is to prepare for the next game.
Taking Responsibility
Unforeseen obstacles are often what derail projects or cause timelines to be missed. Not preparing a team for a specific opponent’s strengths and game plan is often what leads to a loss. The question is, who claims responsibility during those bad times?
A leader should never feel that a player can take responsibility or blame for a loss. If we look deep enough at the problem, it will always come back to leadership. The common phrase is “when you point the finger at someone else, there are three more pointing back at you.”
Let’s say your player drops a pass that would have won the game. Did the coach drop the pass? Obviously not, but did the player get enough opportunities at practice? Did the coach prepare the player mentally for the situation, defense, crowd noise, and what should be expected in that moment? If the coach prepared the player as best as they could, could someone else have been better suited for that pass? Are the right people in the right places at the right time?
If you can honestly answer “yes” to all those things, you have done your job as a leader. You and your team gave your absolute best, and someone else was better. But if the leader is willing to have the awareness that they could have helped prepare the team just a bit better, they know who should step up to the microphone and take accountability.
Anthony Berticelli is VP of Operations for PSA Security Network. To request more information about PSA, visit www.securityinfowatch.com/10214742.
