There’s a book called Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin that I read most of a few years ago. There’s a lot of military stories that (apologies, but) I could do without, however, the concept stuck: you take ownership for everything. Yourself, your team, your organization. It’s another way to say that you take responsibility. Which is very Spider-Man so I’m in.
There’s this instinct to pass the buck to protect ourselves. Defensiveness is so ingrained. But I learned early on in my career that when you make a mistake you own it, apologize, and do better. We see through anything else.
So I don’t know who needs to hear this today — maybe I did — but before you pass the blame onto others own your own part, apologize, and do better.
With Love,
Natalie