A few years ago, I was involved in an accident in which I collided with my car near my home. The reason for this was that I fell asleep for few seconds approximately 100 meters from my residence. I wasn’t speeding; it was a small collision in which neither I nor the other driver was injured.

I exited the vehicle, apologized, accepted responsibility, and informed him it was my fault. I did question him why he didn’t honk if he observed my car drifting from another lane and heading into his lane. “I flashed lights and you did not stop,” he said. It was tempting to point the finger at him for not honking, but I knew it was my fault. I’m the one who’s to blame.

Taking responsibility for our actions is one of the most crucial choices we can make after we have made a mistake or failed. We can’t progress in life or reach our full potential unless we have the confidence to take ownership and say, “I am responsible.”

One pattern that people fall into when they don’t take responsibility, according to John Maxwell, is “blamestorming”. It’s the creative process to find an appropriate scapegoat. We have heard of creative excuses from many people and we have wondered at the ability to consistently improvise their excuses. They may sound fascinating, but their efforts to make excuses rather than make things happen are disappointing.

Who is to blame for what happens in your life? Do you believe it’s important to take personal responsibility? Or do you believe that situations beyond your control are to blame and that it is little or no you can do about it?

Leadership is about making choices and taking responsibility. We always have the choice of blaming circumstances, individuals, our management, our friends, and even our families or taking responsibility for the decisions we made or must make. The people who learn from their mistakes and keep growing and improving are those who take responsibility.

Today, I took the responsibility to finally write an article. It’s my first, I have made enough excuses and it’s time to man up and step, here it is, my first article on Responsibility.