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The definition of blame is to “place the responsibility for a fault, error, etc.” The problem in some companies today is most of their so-called leaders put the majority of their effort in casting blame on others rather than finding a solution. I once heard a comedian say, “The secret of success is knowing who to blame for your failures.”
Why do we blame others? Casting blame on others is a defense mechanism. It helps us preserve our sense of self-esteem or pride by avoiding awareness of our own problems or mistakes. It is also a major sign of weakness. I have found, over the years, that great leaders take responsibility for the actions of their team and never blame others. Weak leaders always blame others for their failures, but take credit for the success of others … that is backwards. If you want to find your weak leaders, just sit back and listen; they will identify who they are by the blame they will be casting on others when something bad happens.
Success in life is not by chance, it is by choice, so choose to make changes and not give excuses or blame others for your mistakes. Blaming others is simple – taking responsibility is hard and a sign of maturity. Admitting you are wrong is not giving up … it is a sign you are growing up. When you point the finger of blame at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you. If you want to be a great leader, the first thing you should think when your employees make a mistake is … What have I done to cause them to fail?
Blaming others for your mistake is a “shameful” decision to avoid accountability. I decided to do a little research on blame and share a few thoughts with you on the subject. The following are some quotes that should get us all thinking the next time we decide to blame others.
Blaming others takes energy from improving yourself.
Blaming others actually shuts off your ability to solve the problem.
The person who cannot be helped is the person who blames others.
When you blame others, you give up the chance to change, grow and succeed.
The winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, John Wooden, had this to say about blame: “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.”
So, before you start off by blaming somebody else for a problem that has occurred, you may want to take a look at yourself first. If a manager will take the blame for what a subordinate did… PROMOTE THEM; they understand Leadership, Teamwork, and Responsibility.
It’s easy to point the Finger of Blame…remember, the first thing a good manager will say is, “What have I done to cause them to fail.” If you want to advance your career, the last thing you would ever want to do is blame others.