You Can’t Insulate Against Personal Responsibility! Lessons from the Political World

What happens when your reputation is dependent on the thoughts and actions of others? And they get it wrong! When an employee’s lack of personal responsibility undermines a leader’s credibility, serious questions need to be asked and serious lessons learned. Recent events in the Australian political scene provide an interesting case study in taking on personal responsibility.

Former Midnight Oil lead singer and now Australian Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett faces a tough battle to regain the confidence of the public, his party, and his team. Personally and politically responsible for a major home insulation scheme designed to deliver economic stimulus and environmental improvement, the Minister has been beset by claims that he was informed about safety concerns relating to the scheme but failed to act to resolve them. The deaths of four people through the scheme have placed his reputation firmly in the public spotlight.

Putting aside the specifics of this case and who did or didn’t know about the concerns and when, the underlying issue relates to the characteristics of effective leaders identified through the L.E.A.D. Survey.

Effective leaders make it clear to their teams what they expect, how they should be working to a common goal or vision, and the parameters in which they are to work. An extremely important characteristic of a good manager is the clear communication of where the organisation is going.

Effective leaders communicate well…both listening and speaking…and in doing so are able to impart to the team how they wish to be kept informed, kept in the loop, and alerted to issues or emerging problems which may impact on the leader’s position and reputation.

Suggesting that ‘nobody told me’ or that ‘I wasn’t kept informed’ (being ‘below the line’ rather than taking responsibility and staying ‘above the line') demonstrates a lack of effective leadership and places a question mark over the leader’s ability to perform the role.

Taking ownership of an issue, being clear and consistent, and regularly staying in touch to monitor the situation are the hallmarks of effective leadership. Staying ‘above the line’ is paramount in the modern organisation. Rather than looking to lay blame or find ways to abdicate personal responsibility, leaders need to demonstrate their leadership by first looking at their own conduct and radiating the right behaviours.

The necessary actions are clear:

1. Communicate clearly and consistently about expectations
2. Be prepared to take personal responsibility rather than looking to lay or shift blame
3. Put in place measurements or check-points to ensure things don’t “go off the rails”

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