Out of all the leadership characteristics that are key to success, this one lands at the top of the list as most important: Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Actions and Celebrating Successes.

In over 6,800 position descriptions executives list Personal Accountability as crucial to superior leadership performance.

"Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility...In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility." --- Michael Korda, Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster

It can be empowering to 'own up' to all the good you've created AND all the issues. When you're not spending any time covering up and defending problems, you can create faster forward movement. Taking personal responsibility for your actions helps you move more quickly from a focus on the problem to generating solutions.

How Do You Know?

How do you know if you're strong or not strong in this most important of all leadership characteristics?

I have noticed, maybe you have seen it too, people who ace the leadership characteristics of taking personal responsibility and celebrating success, often believe they need to improve. And, people who aren't very good at taking responsibility often think they're strong!

These are what we call blind spots, which are strengths and weaknesses others can see, that we don't. That's why they're called blind spots! (By the way, we ALL have them!)

For example, Bill was powerful and successful speaker, author, business owner and leader. (He passed away several years ago...R.I.P.) Once, in a training program he was leading he shared the following after reviewing his own leadership characteristics assessment,

"How can this assessment say I'm lower in Personal Accountability? I'm a go-getter. I get things done! I think I always take responsibility."

Someone close to Bill heard his statements, took him aside and shared,

"Bill you ARE great - but you're just NOT strong in Personal Accountability. Think about it - when something is late or not done right, what do you usually say?"

Bill laughed. "Okay, you're right. I don't always take responsibility for everything that happens. I guess I could get stronger in this area..."

Bill was a dynamo and he was loved by many and respected by all. He was an excellent leader and he also discovered that he could build upon his own leadership characteristics, to be an even greater leader, by improving in this leadership area.

Can you relate? Are you blaming others more than you think?

Have you ever:

Blamed traffic/truck drivers/slow drivers for being late to an appointment?

Blamed your hectic schedule for the reason you've put on a couple of pounds?

Blamed your spouse for your bad day?

People who always take responsibility, on the other hand, would have handled these same situations like this:

Admitted that they should have left a few minutes earlier for their appointment.

Acknowledged that, while being stressed because of a busy time, they've been skipping the gym and eating junk food more often,

Accepted that no one is to blame for their bad day, other than themselves.

Most us can improve in this area.

Being strong in the taking personal responsibility area is one of the best stress management tools, too. That is because to fully realize that we are responsible for our own life, and to understand and embrace that we create our own reality, is more empowering, than feeling victim to others or circumstance.

That's because we can control our responses and actions. We cannot however, control others, at least not for very long.

If you want to test how strong you are in the area of leadership and taking responsibility for your actions and celebrating successes, be sure to check out our free quiz and complimentary workbook.

Use this simple but effective affirmation to remind yourself of the importance of this as you improve all of your leadership characteristics:

I am responsible for all of my thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions to all situations.