Do you own your failures, shortcomings, and mistakes? Or do you look for an opportunity to blame someone else?

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I remember the day vividly.

My boss (who has since become an important mentor) asked why I had dropped the ball on an important issue.

I made an excuse insisting that it wasn’t my fault. He followed up with, “Are you sure that’s your best response?” and regrettably, I doubled down and said “yes”.

In retrospect, it’s clear that I was being tested… Was I the kind of person who took responsibility for my actions or blamed others when I stumbled?

Luckily, my boss took the opportunity to point out that he didn’t accept excuses from his employees.

It was a life-changing lesson for me.

However, all these (many) years later, when something goes wrong, my initial gut reflex is still to look for an excuse. I hate the idea of being wrong.

No one likes admitting their mistakes.  

But a commitment to constant improvement begins with owning your failings.

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—CJ McClanahan

Speaker | Advisor | Recovering Overachiever

CJ McClanahan