Unfortunately, attempts to distract us from poor leadership by blaming other leaders, political parties, countries, races, and religions are wreaking havoc on our society in multiple ways.
The Blame Game Has No Winners
First, the blame game panders to our desire to hold others responsible, which lets “the blamer” off the hook to take action. This is disempowering!
Second, the blame game is a smokescreen designed to cover up for incompetency, which, if we buy into it, prevents us from holding leaders responsible for incompetent performance. So, don’t buy into it!
Third, the blame game gives permission for the rest of us to do the same. It’s so easy! You don’t have to work or address the situation. You don’t have to resolve the problem. You just do nothing while pointing the blame at others. In other words, it’s kind of an excuse for being lazy and unresourceful. Don’t be lured into this seemingly benign trap!
Truly Successful Entrepreneurs Know Better
The blame game is just the opposite of accepting responsibility, taking charge, and building credibility. If you ask any truly successful entrepreneur, they will tell you that the marketplace does not accept products or services that don’t perform well. At least, not more than once! And further, the marketplace has no tolerance for excuses or blame. It just stops buying the non-performing product and buys its competitor’s.
Those same entrepreneurs know that the buck stops on their desk – Period! They can recount in some detail the times when they had to deliver high quality goods and services in spite of the perceived or real shortcomings of others. They will relate the gripping details of last minute hustle and scrambling to meet their customer’s expectations seamlessly.
Breeding Disempowerment
When you blame others, you are saying you are a helpless victim and couldn’t have done anything about it, and therefore won’t! That may be convenient in the short term but devastating in the long run. Buying into the blame game mentality allows you to be manipulated. It may give you a target to vent your frustration, but it doesn’t solve the problem.
Any kid knows that he can avoid responsibility by blaming others. It seems to have become a national sport. Success doesn’t automatically happen when things go right; it happens when things go wrong and you take responsibility for what you CAN do about it. Blame is really designed to get out of work. It is the lazy person’s answer to everything. “It’s not my fault! It’s someone else’s!”
A Mask for Incompetence
How would you like your heart surgeon or your airplane pilot to see themselves as a victim? Not unless you would like to be a victim too. Society doesn’t tolerate the blame game from our product-and-service producers. Why should we accept it as a mask for incompetency at any level?
Our economic and physical wellbeing is dependent on competent leadership from people who are actually qualified to do the job, not just observing the job and blaming others. Somehow we have allowed a level of administrative incompetence that we would never allow in our marketplace.
Back to Work!
We hope to return soon to a more competent administration capable of rebuilding our health and economy. We can’t afford to play the blame game when what we need is real action, real skill, and real empowerment! As business advisors, we know that if you are not willing to accept the blame, you are not in control!
Who We Are
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.
Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.
They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.
Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.
To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.
