Take responsibility
It’s a phrase that’s almost universally uttered in the locker room of the losing team: “We win as a team and we lose as a team.”
The smart leader doesn’t accept responsibility for the wins and doesn’t share it for the losses.
“When there are victories and there is praise to go around, then a CEO’s job is to praise freely and to recognize all the people,” Elwood says. “Victories don’t happen as a result of a single person — they happen as a result of a lot of people. When there are defeats, I accept the blame selfishly. It’s the CEO’s fault. It’s not other people’s fault.
“If I go in and say, ‘This is your fault,’ that’s devastating to people. That destroys their confidence, their belief, their enthusiasm and their morale. That can have a devastating impact. When I go in and say, ‘I accept blame for this. This is my fault,’ that galvanizes their confidence and determination.”
Elwood says he could very easily take a different approach and blame others for whatever problems exist.
“I can go in and I can terminate people,” Elwood says. “I can rattle their cages and I can blame my staff. But I think I’ve been much better served saying, ‘Hey folks, we win as a team. When we got this business, it was a team effort. If we’re going to lose that business, we’re going to lose as a team. I’m not going to blame you or you or you because we all had something to do with it.’”
It’s that attitude that will earn you a lot of loyalty with your people.
“It’s saying, ‘Hey, I believe in you,’” Elwood says. “‘We’re still a team, we’re still going to be successful. Let’s get back to work.’”
How to reach: Elwood Staffing, (812) 372-6200 or www.elwoodstaffing.com