Taking responsibility does not mean taking the blame. It means recognising your sphere of influence – and using it.
This is a central principle in coaching. Those who take responsibility choose to respond actively to a situation – regardless of who caused it. In doing so, they move out of a passive role and begin to shape their own reality. This sense of self-efficacy strengthens confidence and enables sustainable change.
However, taking responsibility is not always appropriate in every situation. Those who constantly take on tasks that actually belong to a manager’s role risk overload – potentially leading to burnout. And those who wait for a difficult manager to change will often be waiting a long time. A more realistic approach is to create momentum through one’s own behaviour – while also recognising where one’s responsibility ends.
Responsibility needs the right boundaries to have a healthy effect.
Articles on responsibility (all articles)
How eagles learn to fly
Why do you have to when you could want to?