- Your outcomes are the result of your actions.
- Your actions are a result of your intentions.
- Your intentions are a result of your beliefs, assumptions, and values.
- Your beliefs, assumptions, and values are largely unconscious.
- You are responsible for how your unconscious drives you.
This is the first part in a five-part series called Own It: Creating a Culture of Responsibility and Why It Matters. Quite the mouthful, right? That’s why we are just going to simply use the name Own It and move on to what’s really important—facing your decisions and how they play a role in your business. The good, the bad, and especially the ugly.
I talk often about stock language and how you’re essentially lying without even realizing it. However, there are a few good lines that lead to something deeper, which I want us to explore.
Let’s begin with the classic leadership premise, “The business is a reflection of you.” This well-worn phrase is often used and just as often under-appreciated. It is an orientation for business development that asks for a profound level of self-responsibility. It means that whatever you don’t like about your business, you look at your contribution before you try to change it.
This is much easier said than done and requires a level of fortitude, self-awareness, and courage that is difficult to develop. It means that you are the cause of your problems and are not a victim of anything.
How so? Consider this: