Who is REALLY Responsible for Your Success?

Good Morning...

I had many insightful discussions this week with individuals who work with me and many more who used to work with me...

It is interesting how the I find myself living in a world of themes...one week...one theme or topic...and it is most often common among everyone that I talk with...

This week, the common themes lead to the role that a person's leader plays in one's success.

There was a realization among many (myself included) on how little our personal performance plays in success and how critical the role the leader played...

I heard many people say...I used to be successful and productive...but now...I am struggling...I can't see the difference!

I heard others say that they did not realize how different a job could be with the simple change of a leader!

I heard a few say...that they were convinced that their success was of their own doing...and now they knew better...

This leads to a question that you should ask yourself...

Are you experiencing the same level of success that you were a year or two ago?

What changed?  Your boss?

Are you making others successful (at a level equal to or better than) the previous leader?

Do you realize that this an obligation of you as a leader?

As a person being led...it is your obligation to align with a leader who supports you and makes you successful...if they can't make you successful...

It is your obligation to find a new leader!

Why would anyone...with a semblance of intelligence...stick with a leader that is not making them successful?

I can answer that...

Because they are tied more to the money that they have...than success!

or...

Because they think that success or failure is entirely their responsibility...and a leader has little or nothing to do with it!

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If your world has changed and you are blaming it on a change or environment...or blaming others...you are deceiving yourself...

There are a few capable of succeeding with or without a competent leader...there are rare individuals...

These are the "super-heroes" and the stuff that movies are made of...they are people of legends...

Few people are capable of winning a military battle single-handed...

Not impossible...but not probable!

This minority get the highest levels of recognition...hero medals...

Most are not capable of performing at that level of heroism...

If you are not wearing medals and not performing at super-human levels...you need a shot of reality...

First your success was more related to your leader than your own performance...

Second...your own performance was/is average...and made great by the role your leader played...

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Let's look at your team...

Are they performing equal to or better than they did under the previous leadership?

If not...you need to question your leadership ability...

Has the performance of your team degraded?

Then you need to be asking...how have you changed?

Many organizations make the mistake of allowing a leader to terminate the employment of substandard performers...

The fact of the matter is...it is the leader who should be fired when a team or even an individual fails...

Leaders need to be vested in the success of the individuals and their team...if termination was a real threat to leaders for substandard performance of a team...I think there would be fewer people aspiring to be leaders...

The 21st century organization will grasp this concept...and weed-out poor leaders...

Those who do not grasp this concept will be destined to failure...and although I hurt for them...their blindness needs to be rewarded appropriately...

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The bottom line is that your leaders play a critical role to your success...

If you are successful...you need to stop thinking yourself as some high performer...and spend a little more time thanking your leader...

If you are not performing at a level that you know that you are capable of...then you may be in need of a change...a change of a leader...

ENOUGH SAID!

Pura Vida!