How do you measure and evaluate ‘responsibility’ in leadership?
Here is a list of steps on how to carry responsibility out of our shells.
- Cultivate self-awareness. As a responsible leader, you should know your own weaknesses and strengths to view your performance objectively. Also, acknowledge your shortcomings, open yourself to constructive feedback from your bosses, co-workers, and even juniors, and make changes when needed. When you are properly aware of yourself and your character as a whole, you will know what duties you should engage in and what circumstances you feel you cannot manage. Remember to always evaluate yourself genuinely and honestly—practice self-assessment techniques to learn how to behave and check the effects you have on others. Seek criticisms and opinions and what you can do to become a more competent leader.
- Do not associate responsibility with ‘worry.’ When we hear the term ‘responsibility,’ we mostly think to ourselves, “another problem as another task!” However, responsibility is more than fretting about things given to us to work out.
- Take calculated risks. Influential leaders dare to act in circumstances where success and results are uncertain. They are willing to gamble failure. In doing this, you always have to be arranged. Analyze the condition and your options. List the cons and the pros for each choice you have, and then indicate each choice a risk factor rating from 1 to 10. Next, discover the likelihood that each outcome will occur. This will assist you in knowing how much risk you are genuinely willing to take. Also, do not anticipate perfection. No one is perfect. In fact, leaders grow by committing blunders.
- Be ready to honestly admit your shortcomings and mistakes. Everyone makes blunders. It is normal. Avoid blaming others and making excuses for something you did wrong. Admitting your failures and mistakes will even make people appreciate you more, as you are genuinely true to yourself.
To become a responsible leader, you need to answer the following questions.
- Are the business’s activities and operations sustainable?
- Is the workforce adequately looked after?
- Does the firm ever take short-term risks that could harm the businesses’ reputation?
- Are your office practices ethical and in line with your firm’s policies?
Only if your business operations and activities are sustainable, the office employees are appropriately treated and paid on time, your firm takes calculated risks, and practice ethics you will be considered a responsible leader.
Here are some of the other personality traits and soft skills possessed by responsible leaders:
- Integrity
- Honesty
- Open-minded
- Long-term perspective
- Respectful of others
- Empathy
- Serves others
Conclusion
Responsible leadership becomes a reality when you possess the traits mentioned above.
