Core values: Responsibility

Core values in an individual or an organization cannot be given. They have to be cultivated and emanate from the individual(s). They are the framework that facilitates all outcomes. In other words, they are the system that all situations are fed through.

The third value we will discuss is responsibility. This value is closely tied to the second core value, Accountability. Where accountability is the state of being answerable, responsibility is the ability to answer. Accountability answers why, responsibility answers how.

Responsibility is a stand-alone value in that it changes based off of situation. For example, my responsibility to my family differs from my responsibility to others. My responsibility changes as I change, my assignments change and the people around me change.

This is the third core value because once you know what you want (DESIRE) and you know why (Accountability), it is time to act. The responsible individual's actions in each situation is predicated by an understanding of their assignment and how they interact with the environment around them.

In a football game, plays need to be called. But it only works if assignments are made on who calls the plays and what each players' role is. If an unassigned player starts calling the plays, the whole thing falls apart.

There is a building in Scotland with the inscription "Where e're thou art, act well thy part". When I am building teams, I most often look for leaders in other roles that are performing well. Why? Good leaders respond to their assignments. Those individuals often lean quickly that leadership is a role to fill, not a title to stand behind.