John C Maxwell says, “ Responsibility is the most important ability that a person can possess”
This topic has a very serious tone to itself and that says it all !! Yes, being responsible is a humongous task and a very serious one too. Being responsible is not a choice but a way of life. Young or old, everyone has or is given a responsibility by default.
What does it mean?
In simple terms, being responsible means we are accountable for what we do or what we were asked to do. Right or wrong, whatever the outcome is, we should own the results with confidence. At the end of the day, someone trusted us with something and what matters the most is that we tried!
How not to do it
Yes, I understand, being responsible is too much pressure and too much work. We need to be careful of what we do and how we do, so we don’t fail! But unfortunately, we can never be too careful. We are humans and are designed in a way that we will end up making mistakes some way or the other.
When we look at it from a work perspective, what best we can do is focus on the task at hand and not worry about the results. This definitely takes off the pressure and helps us to focus a bit more on the task at hand.
Being responsible at work:
There is a saying that goes, “Make it work, then make it better”.
The first part of being responsible is attending to the task at hand. Be it big or small, taking the first step, makes all the difference.
Being a responsible leader
Rick Warren quotes, “Leadership starts with understanding responsibility, not ability.”
If you are in a leadership role, being responsible plays a major part. You are not only responsible for the project you head but also equally responsible for the team you lead. They tend to look up to you for guidance and direction. In fact you set the tone for their work life balance. Take decisions in a responsible way considering the strengths and weaknesses of your team. Help them grow in what they do and let them have the confidence in coming back to you for support. All these are possible only when the leader acts responsibly keeping in mind the weightage of his role and the impact he can have on his team based on his actions.
Be responsible, even otherwise
Even in our day-to-day lives, being responsible is non-negotiable. We could be students, professionals or homemakers but each of us are given some responsibility, either to study, to work or to take care of things at home. There is no comparison here, every part played is crucial and important. Any responsible person anywhere is always looked up to as a leader. Even in the society where we live, we need to act with integrity and set a good example.
Responsibility comes in many forms! Some are smooth sailing and some might be difficult to handle and might be even frustrating. But take courage, you were given that role for a reason because someone trusted you that you could do it. Put your best foot forward and take one responsible step at a time, we will be there real soon!!
Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility”. Responsibility plays a major role in our life and we are alone responsible for everything we do and not do so own it and act responsibly!!
About the Author
Shalini Solomon comes with close to 15 years of industry experience in the Human Resources space. She is currently designated as Head - People and Values with Kazh Fintech Private Limited. She likes to interact with people and makes sure they have the space to grow and learn and are free to work without any pressure. People first is always her approach. She holds an Engineering degree in Computer Science.