Welcome to Friday 411, issue #138. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’ll
prepare to handle someone else’s mess.
1 Insight
Leaders are responsible for the messes they inherit.
When we sold our house in Texas, we asked our realtor about cleaning expectations. He explained, “The general recommendation is to leave the house in the condition you would like to find it.” I (Dorothy) put serious thought into his guideline. I knew how stressful moving is. Anyone would want their new home to be move-in ready.
After we got out all our stuff, professional cleaners scrubbed everything down, including inside drawers and cabinets. I imagined the new residents enjoying the ease of opening their boxes and sliding their belongings into fresh spaces. We removed every scrap of our presence, including brushing cobwebs from corners. As our family piled into the car to pull away for the last time, I even followed behind to sweep the leaves from the driveway.
Then we arrived at our new home in Tennessee. Evidently, our sellers’ realtor had not bestowed them with the same advice. The house was filthy. Sticky remnants covered every inch of the kitchen, from sink to fridge, counters to floors, inside every corner. The bathtubs were stained brown with dirt residue. Dilapidated furniture remained in the garage. Dog hair and odor filled the carpets. There was even guinea pig poo sprayed across the walls of our daughter’s new room behind where its cage had once been. On what was supposed to be a joyful day, I couldn’t reign in my tears of dismay.
The house had not looked like this when we toured it. The owners had put in their best effort when trying to sell it.
Before we could move in a single box, we had our work cut out for us.
We hadn’t made this mess, but we were now responsible for it.
It’s Not Your Fault…
We’re sure you’ve felt the weight of others’ messes, too. You know what it’s like to carry things that are not your fault.
It’s not your fault that you stepped into a new role where your predecessor left confusion, broken systems, and strained relationships behind.
It’s not your fault that you were promoted without receiving support.
But now you lead.
And leadership requires a new equation.
It’s not your fault…but it is your responsibility.
The moment you accept leadership, you accept ownership.
Not blame.
Ownership.
You may have:
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Inherited a disengaged team.
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Stepped into a role where trust was already broken.
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Taken over a department with no clarity.
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Accepted a culture you didn’t create.
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Walked into financial problems caused by someone else.
None of that may be your fault. But the moment you said yes to the role, you said yes to the mess.
Leadership doesn’t ask, “Who started this?”
Leadership asks, “What will I do with it?”
125% Responsibility
We believe every person on your team must take 100% responsibility. 100% Responsibility says: “I will take responsibility for my attitude, my actions, my beliefs, and my mistakes.” No excuses. No blame. No hiding. That is the baseline for everyone.
But leaders don’t stop at baseline. Leaders go beyond. Leaders take 125% Responsibility.
125% Responsibility says:
“I will take responsibility for my attitude, my actions, my beliefs, and my mistakes. AND I will take ownership of the problems I inherited. I will own the mistakes I didn’t cause so we get the results we want.”
That is leadership.
That is maturity.
That is what separates managers from leaders.
125% Responsibility is a Character issue. Character is one of the 7 traits of Unleashed Leadership. Your character is revealed in what you do with what you didn’t choose.
Weak character blames.
Strong character builds.
1 Action
This week, identify one problem you inherited — a broken process, a strained relationship, a culture issue — and take one step to own it fully.