Bringing Leadership Home: Where the Buck Stops

Bringing Leadership Home: Where the Buck Stops

When great things are achieved by a team, a corporate body or a nation, it is attributed to the leader. When they are underachieving too, the blame is to the leader.

We all know he wasn't the only person building but the oversight is his or hers and the overall credit or blame goes same way.

So we always say, the buck stops at the leader's table.

But leadership goes beyond being in position. It is the influence exacted to make people do what it takes to become who they were made to be and to play effectively the role they should in an organization.

It is the taking responsibility of making positive things happen towards the accomplishments of overall goals and vision of the corporate entity.

So at home, where does the buck stop?

Adam ate the fruit given him by Eve. But he claimed the wife God gave him was the cause of the whole trouble.

[My Offline Bible] 1 Timothy 2
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Though Eve was the conduit of the trouble, the man wasn't spared. It wasn't an excuse that she caused the transgression, Adam still got the full dose of the repercussions.

That's because his excuse wasn't tenable. Same with the excuse of the woman. They were both responsible.

Taking responsibility is a character people hardly loves to take. Many who take responsibility do so to press for something. Men take responsibility to establish their authority. Women take responsibility to draw from their husbands. And when what they seek isn't given the responsibility is withdrawn.

Taking responsibility is all about getting things done and taking the blame when it goes awry. Many dysfunctional marriages and divorces are filled with bucks passing and blame trading.

I once counselled a couple that had crisis. When taking a session with the man alone, I asked about who he thought was to blame for the bad situation of his home, he said his wife was to blame...
I asked if he had any contribution to the crisis, if he did something that could cause more trouble or refused to do something that could help... He insisted that he had done all he should do and didn't do anything that could cause a problem...

I congratulated him and told him, how the question was a trick. I told him he is the leader  and that all his leadership expertise and perfectness have only brought the family into crisis.

A people are where they have been led...

Leadership is about taking responsibility. If you don't want to take the blame, use the available tools to engage whoever would cause you trouble. If you wouldn't do what you should do, when trouble comes be ready to take the blame.

Many of us want to to take the credit we should also be ready to take the blame. When we walk in that consciousness that we would be blamed if things go awry then we'll be disciplined enough to do what we have to do to make things work.

As leaders, oversight is important and crucial to put day to day success. If someone isn't doing what will add to the overall success of the organisation, the right thing is to do what has to be done and get the person performing or cover for such person's lapses.

We must learn to cover for each other's lapses and compliment each other to produce the home we desire. To think since a role is not our responsibility and so should be left even when the person responsible isn't in a state to perform is to permit failure which will affect overall outcome...

Covering spaces for each other is therefore the sole responsibility we have. In a relationship where each person is ready to give all, passing the buck doesn't have a place...each person takes responsibility of overall outcome covering for the inadequacies of the other knowing that it'll be his or her fault if things go wrong...

Are you ready to take responsibility? The question is if you don't do it, who will?

The rule therefore is...

[My Offline Bible] Ecclesiastes 9
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Jesus Christ said, work while day, night is coming when no man can work...

Take total responsibility... The buck stops at your table... You are a leader!

Let's make our marriages work!

I pray God grant grace to do all that's necessary to make our marriages the bliss we desired... In Jesus name. Good morning!